California needs more rehabilitation, not forced prison labor

Californians are voting on Proposition 6 this election, which prioritizes public safety, rehabilitation, and our limited taxpayer resources over prison slave labor.

Proposal 6 amends the state constitution to eliminate a provision that authorizes prisons to impose prison-based slave labor as punishment and even discipline incarcerated people who refuse — even when it comes to participating in rehabilitation programs that make them less likely to release make a mistake again.

Currently, the California Constitution prohibits slavery, and “involuntary servitude is prohibited, except in punishment of crime.” Proposition 6 would eliminate the exception and add a provision that “the Department of Corrections will not discipline any inmate for refusing a work assignment.”

My experience, and that of the thousands of inmates who leave prison each year, is a testament to why it is critical to vote yes on Proposition 6.

When I was 16 years old, I was sentenced to 31 years to life. For the next 25 years, I worked just about every prison job there was. When I decided to turn my life around and tried to attend a victim impact class, I was not allowed to do so because the class was during my work hours.

If I had put down that broom and attended the victim impact course to learn about the ripple effect of the harm I caused, I would have been disciplined, which could have cost me up to 15 years of denial by the parole board. You read that right: I would have been punished simply because I wanted to improve myself by learning about the impact of my behavior.

Today, there are approximately 90,000 inmates and only 40,000 jobs within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). There is therefore no shortage of inmates who want to work, as most inmates prefer that to being locked up in a cell for long hours.

The failure to pass Proposition 6 and the continued prioritization of forced prison labor over rehabilitation endanger safety throughout California.

A recent report from CDCR shows that recidivism rates are lower among those who have earned college credits by completing a rehabilitation program. In particular, those who had some form of programming credit had significantly lower conviction rates than those without increased credit income. With 95% of incarcerated people eventually returning to their communities, the evidence is overwhelming; when CDCR prioritizes rehabilitation over exploitation, we all win.

Today, we spend an average of $133,000 per year per person we incarcerate, and most who leave prison reoffend within three years — meaning we waste billions every year on a failing prison system. That’s why it’s so important to pass Proposition 6 to amend our state constitution to end “involuntary servitude,” a form of slavery that prioritizes forced prison labor over rehabilitation, public safety, and our limited tax dollars.

No one should be placed in solitary confinement, deprived of seeing their children, or punished with additional months or years in prison simply because they choose rehabilitation over slave labor in prison. They need to be supported if they want to change their thinking and behavior, heal from childhood trauma, recover from addictions, and learn about the ripple effect of victimization.

Ask yourself: Are you better off if incarcerated people are rehabilitated and less likely to reoffend when they return to their communities – or if they have license plates made?

If I had been able to attend that victim impact class without the threat of punishment for missing my work assignment, I could have started my healing journey of accountability much sooner.

Ending slavery in California is a long overdue public safety imperative, and now is the time for us to rid our state of the evil institution of slavery once and for all. Vote yes on proposal 6.

John Vasquez is policy and legal services manager for Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice.