Plain English Breakdown
The official text mentions 'specified' exceptions for required work after January 1, 2027, but does not list what those specific cases are.
Making Prison and Jail Work Voluntary
This law stops state prisons from forcing inmates to work, requires a new voluntary job program with pay rules for them, and asks local leaders to set pay rates for jail workers.
What This Bill Does
- Removes the rule that forces able-bodied prison inmates to work.
- Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to create a voluntary work program for state prisoners.
- Asks CDCR to write rules about how much money workers in its programs will earn.
- Stops CDCR from requiring incarcerated people to work starting January 1, 2027, except as specified.
- Requires local city or county leaders to pass a law setting pay rates for jail workers.
Who It Names or Affects
- Inmates in state prisons managed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
- People held in county jails, industrial farms, or road camps.
- Local city councils and boards of supervisors who must set jail worker pay.
Terms To Know
- Voluntary work program
- A job system where inmates can choose to work but are not forced to do so.
- Local ordinance
- A law passed by a city or county government instead of the state legislature.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not say exactly how much money inmates will earn in either prison or jail programs.
- It is unclear what specific exceptions exist for required work after January 1, 2027, as the text only mentions 'except as specified'.