Voters in California and Nevada consider ban on forced labor aimed at protecting prisoners

Associated Press/Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California and Nevada voters will decide in November if they want to ban forced prison labor by removing language from their state constitutions rooted in the legacy of chattel slavery. The measures aim to protect incarcerated people from being forced to work under the threat of punishment. In both states it’s not uncommon for prisoners to be paid less than $1 an hour for jobs like fighting fires, cleaning prison cells or making license plates. Other states including Colorado, Alabama and Tennessee have removed exceptions for slavery and involuntary servitude.