Wait, let's just get the answer out of the way immediately. No, Proposition 6 did not pass. During the November 2024 election, California voters rejected the measure that would have ended "involuntary servitude" for incarcerated people. It was a weird night for California politics. While the state usually leans heavily progressive, this particular attempt to scrub the last remnants of slavery from the state constitution hit a wall.
People were confused. I mean, honestly, if you looked at the ballot, it seemed like a slam dunk in a state like California. But the results tell a different story. Voters weren't necessarily saying they love forced labor; they were worried about the price tag. That's usually how it goes in the Golden State. We want the moral high ground, but we're terrified of what it does to the budget.
Why Did Prop 6 Fail?
It basically came down to money and messaging. The Legislative Analyst’s Office—the folks who look at the boring math behind every bill—didn't give a specific number, but they hinted at a massive potential cost. If the state can't force prisoners to work, it has to pay them "fair wages" to get them to pick up a mop or cook a meal.
Currently, incarcerated people in California make anywhere from 8 cents to $1.15 an hour. Imagine if that jumped to the state minimum wage of $16. That’s a billion-dollar shift. You’ve got a state already facing a massive deficit. Voters saw "unspecified costs" and hit the panic button.
The opposition didn't even have to spend much money. They just let the fiscal fear do the heavy lifting. Groups like the California Taxpayers Association didn't have to scream from the rooftops because the ballot language itself felt risky to a public already feeling the squeeze of inflation and high gas prices.
The Slavery Loophole You Probably Didn't Know About
Most people think the 13th Amendment ended slavery. It did, mostly. But there’s a tiny, nasty little clause that says it’s still okay as "punishment for a crime." California’s state constitution had the same exact loophole.
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Prop 6 was supposed to fix that.
Supporters, including the California Legislative Black Caucus, argued that this isn't just about labor; it's about dignity. Assemblymember Lori Wilson was one of the loudest voices on this. She argued that you can't rehabilitate someone by treating them like property. But in a year where "tough on crime" sentiment was making a massive comeback—just look at the success of Prop 36—Prop 6 felt like it was swimming upstream.
What Happens Inside the Prisons Now?
Right now, if you’re in a California prison and you refuse to work, you can be disciplined. We’re talking about losing phone privileges, losing visits with family, or even being thrown into solitary. It’s not just "encouraged" work. It’s "do it or suffer" work.
Prop 6 would have changed the system to voluntary work programs. Proponents argued that if work was voluntary, the prison system could focus more on actual education and vocational training that actually helps people when they get out. Instead, we have a system that relies on incredibly cheap labor to keep the lights on.
- Firefighting: Incarcerated crews are essential to CA's wildfire response.
- Janitorial: Keeping the facilities from becoming biohazards.
- Kitchen staff: Thousands of meals every single day.
If these people stop working because they aren't being paid enough, the whole system grinds to a halt. Or, the state has to hire outside contractors. Both options sounded like a nightmare to the average voter in 2024.
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The "Tough on Crime" Wave
You can't talk about Prop 6 without talking about the general mood of California in 2024. It was a "correction" year. For about a decade, California had been passing progressive criminal justice reforms like Prop 47. But this year, the pendulum swung back. Hard.
Voters were frustrated with retail theft and homelessness. Because Prop 6 was seen as a "pro-inmate" bill, it got swept up in the broader rejection of progressive reform. It’s kinda sad when you think about it—the nuance of "should we have involuntary servitude" got lost in the noise of "I'm tired of people stealing from Walgreens."
The National Context
California wasn't alone in this. Other states have tried to scrub this language too. Places like Vermont, Alabama, and Tennessee actually succeeded in recent years. So why did California—the supposed bastion of liberalism—fail?
It’s the scale.
California has one of the largest prison populations in the country. What works in Vermont, which has a tiny prison population, doesn't necessarily scale easily to a state with nearly 100,000 inmates. The logistical hurdle of transitioning from forced labor to a voluntary, paid model in a system that large is, frankly, terrifying to bureaucrats.
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What’s Next for Anti-Slavery Advocates?
Don't expect this to go away. The advocates who pushed for Prop 6 are already talking about 2026 or 2028. They know they need to fix the "cost" argument.
Next time, they’ll probably try to pair the measure with specific funding or a more gradual phase-in of wages. They also need to do a better job of explaining that "ending involuntary servitude" doesn't mean "everyone stops working." It just means they can't be punished for choosing a GED class over a laundry shift.
If you’re looking to stay involved or understand the fallout, here is what you should actually do:
- Follow the California Transitions Fund: They are one of the main groups looking at how to reform prison labor without breaking the state budget.
- Watch the Budget Hearings: In early 2025, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will be discussing their labor needs. This is where the "voluntary vs. forced" debate will actually play out in terms of dollars and cents.
- Read the actual text of Article 1, Section 6: It's eye-opening to see the words "involuntary servitude" still sitting there in the state's governing document.
- Engage with your local reps: Many State Assembly members were shocked by the failure of Prop 6 and are looking for ways to implement smaller administrative changes that don't require a constitutional amendment.
The rejection of Prop 6 was a reality check. It showed that even in a deep-blue state, fiscal conservatism and "tough on crime" rhetoric can still beat out social justice initiatives if the price tag isn't clear. It wasn't a "no" to human rights so much as it was a "not right now, we’re broke" from the California electorate.
Keep an eye on the 2026 ballot. This issue is far from buried.