Anti-Slavery California Ballot Measure Would Ban Forced Prison Labor

A measure seeking to ban forced prison labor and formally prohibit slavery in California will be on the November ballot. Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 8 would change the California Constitution to prohibit the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from disciplining any incarcerated person for refusing a work assignment. It would also prohibit “slavery in any form.” “Forced labor has no redeeming qualities and is inconsistent with California’s respect for human dignity,” the amendment reads. The measure was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson in February 2023. It passed June 27 in the Senate with only three opposition votes from Republican Sens. Brian Dahle, Roger Niello, and Kelly Seyarto....