Forced prison labor in California could be stopped if voters pass Prop 6

A fever keeps me awake all night. My head is spinning and I’ve never been so exhausted, but I still have to go to my kitchen shift at 4:30 in the morning. If I miss work, I risk punishment or jeopardize my chance at freedom. I have no choice but to show up because my boss is the California prison system.

I once dreamed of becoming an artist, but life had other plans. My mother moved from New York to California to escape a substance abuse problem, leaving my brother and me behind. When I finally came to her, hoping for a fresh start, we became homeless and she relapsed. This series of events ultimately led to my involvement with the prison system.

I was imprisoned in the State of California for eleven years, working against my will under conditions of involuntary servitude – one form of modern slavery. The prison system has no choices and no exceptions. If I tried to get sick, which inmates are entitled to do under California law, I was punished. Similar to the US Constitution, the California Constitution contains an “exception clause” that allows involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. And so are people of color disproportionately affected because they make up the majority of the state’s prison population.

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Now California has one historic opportunity to put an end to this cruel and racist practice. Proposal 6 will give voters the power to end forced labor in state prisons and county jails and ultimately close this dark chapter in our state. history.

Where else in America is slavery still legal? Where else could someone whose liberty has already been taken away face further restrictions if they refuse to work? Alone in jail and prison.

California’s legacy of slavery and forced labor includes the exploitation of Indigenous peoples in Spanish missions And African Americans during the Gold Rush. Since California’s prisons were created, so has the system used this kind of labor, of forcing incarcerated people to do so build the state’s first prison to operational facilities such as the still active one Folsom Prison license plate factory. Our prison system is built on this exploitation and punishment.

Today, California relies on it prison labor for operation and maintenance, including food service. We produce more than 1,400 products and services such as traffic signs, textiles, medical equipment, furniture and license plates that are largely sold to government agencies. Most of us earn for our labor cents per hour.

Some see prison labor as beneficial, but for me and my colleagues, forced labor provided no positive benefit and ultimately hindered our progress. I went to prison to change my behavior, not to do the dishes. Earning money for menial jobs has not helped my rehabilitation or skill development. I needed guidance and education to overcome my criminal record, but instead I was stuck in kitchen labor and missing out on valuable programs.

Surviving prison brought many dark moments, especially in the infamous one Pelican Bay State Prison segregated housing unit (SHU), commonly known as solitary confinement. The isolation, designed to break you mind, body and soulleft me completely alone. My only reprieve from the 24/7 lockdown was a poetry class I took, which allowed me to leave my cell for a while. Then my creativity started to flicker. I shared my writing with other incarcerated men and it resonated with them in ways I didn’t expect. This creative spark ignited the desire to guide others who were lost in the darkness. In the SHUI met Scott Budnick and the Hope & Redemption Team from the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), who recognized my potential and believed I deserved more.

An approximate one 95% of people in state or federal prisons will come home one day, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; I was one of them. Upon my release, I lacked the skills and work history necessary to succeed because my time in prison had not prepared me for the outside world. I felt like I was set up to fail. I often feared that I would never be seen the same way due to the trauma and isolation I had endured.

So I did what many young people do today: I started sharing my story on social media. I learned how to take photos and videos with my phone and one of my Instagram reels: “I am your former inmate colleague,” went viral and was viewed more than three million times. Roll And TikToks became my way of shedding light on people’s experiences inside and calling for an end to mass incarceration.

Nowadays I create content for BOWa nonprofit advocacy organization in California led by formerly incarcerated individuals like me. At ARC, we work to end mass incarceration and empower both incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. help them get their lives and future back. Mentorship and guidance I received from ARC while in prison and continued to shape my advocacy work, including my company, Forever 23 Production LLC.

About 40% of people in California return to prisonaccording to state records. That’s in large part because the system prevents them from reaching their full potential. Without forced labor, people could choose jobs that fit their career goals while pursuing education and self-improvement.

Proposal 6 will end what is effectively slavery in prisons, prioritize rehabilitation and enhance personal dignity, giving individuals a better chance at stability when they return home. Yes votes against Proposal 6 This November is a powerful way to take action against, in effect, modern slavery and help change oppressive systems.

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Originally published on Teen fashion

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