Proposition 6 seeks to improve safety and save taxpayer dollars by prioritizing rehabilitation in California prisons over prison slave labor. The campaign this week announced several major labor endorsements as well as the endorsement of some key newspapers.
Among the labor endorsements: California Labor Federation, California Professional Firefighters, California Teachers Association, SEIU California, UFCW Western States, UAW Region 6, and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Sacramento Chapter.
“California Professional Firefighters strongly support Proposition 6, recognizing the profound need for prioritizing rehabilitation during time served over further punishment,” said Brian K. Rice, President of California Professional Firefighters. “We believe the incarcerated should be focused on rehabilitative, voluntary work, and educational programs that truly prepare them for successful re-entry into society. We urge Californians to end involuntary servitude by voting Yes on 6.”
Proposition 6 enhances public safety and reduces recidivism by prioritizing rehabilitation, leading to significant cost savings for taxpayers. California taxpayers pay $134,000 per year to incarcerate one person.
The campaign said, “Evidence shows that the more people are rehabilitated, the less likely to suffer from homelessness and re-offend, avoiding costs for re-incarceration. These savings can be reallocated to community programs, investments in mental health programs, education, and other public services, improving the well-being of all Californians while saving taxpayers money.”
The campaign also announced, this week, a series of key endorsements from major California newspapers endorsing Proposition 6.
“From north to south, from the Central Valley to the coast, millions of Californians rely on the accurate and unbiased reporting from these publications. Their endorsement underscores the wide-ranging support for this historic measure,” said Carmen-Nicole Cox, Director of Government Affairs, ACLU California Action. “Their stamp of approval sends a strong message to voters ahead of the November 2024 election: Proposition 6 is a moral imperative and is essential to public safety for all Californians.”
Among the newspapers: Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Merced Sun Star, San Luis Obispo Tribune, and the Bakersfield Californian.
From the L.A. Times Editorial Board:
“For more than a century and a half, California has outlawed forced labor. But there has always been an exception for one group — people in prison. The state Constitution specifically prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude except “to punish crime.” It’s time to strike those words from the Constitution by voting “yes” on Proposition 6 on Nov. 5. No one, including state prisoners serving time for serious crimes, should be forced to work against their will. Involuntary servitude is a remnant of a post-slavery practice that is repugnant and has no place in the state, even in its prisons. Proposition 6 will remove the language that allows prisons and jails to force incarcerated people to work and punish them when they refuse. We wholeheartedly endorse it.”
From the Sacramento Bee/ California McClatchy Editorial Board:
“Prop. 6 is about finally abolishing, once and for all, the vestiges of modern slavery occurring in our state prisons. Passing Prop. 6 “aligns with our values and who we are in California,” Wilson said. The McClatchy California Editorial Board — which includes The Sacramento Bee, The Modesto Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Merced Sun-Star and The San Luis Obispo Tribune — wholeheartedly agrees.”
