Citing data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, a new VR program at Corcoran State Prison has coincided with a dramatic drop in solitary confinement infractions, contributing to the commutation of sentences and closure of a solitary confinement building.

The article discusses California’s Proposition 6, which seeks to amend the state constitution to ban forced and underpaid labor in state prisons. If approved, this measure would require the CDCR to overhaul its longstanding practice of utilizing incarcerated labor under exploitative conditions that have been linked to a legacy of racial and economic injustice.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has proposed nearly doubling the hourly wages for incarcerated workers, marking the first such increase in 30 years. The new proposal seeks to eliminate unpaid work assignments and reduce hours from full-time to half-time while boosting hourly wages in an effort to help inmates cover restitution payments and basic living expenses.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has unveiled a new proposal nearly doubling hourly wages for incarcerated workers after 30 years without significant change in pay levels. The proposal, announced at a news conference on November 16, 2023, seeks to eliminate unpaid work assignments and reduce working hours while increasing wages to help inmates meet restitution and basic needs. However, around 5,700 inmates employed by the separate California Prison Industry Authority would be excluded from the increase, highlighting a two-tiered wage system that has drawn criticism from labor advocates and progressive lawmakers.

A lawsuit filed by the ACLU and prisoner advocates allege that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation refers U.S. citizen prisoners to ICE based solely on racist assumptions about their national origin, resulting in the denial of rehabilitative programs and other services.

In response to a federal court mandate, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported that its facilities are operating at 112% capacity, underscoring persistent overcrowding and a failure to adopt more rehabilitative practices. Critics note that this continuation of an outdated, punitive model contributes to systemic injustice and harms marginalized communities.

Records obtained by the ACLU reveal that, as early as August 18, 2022, staff at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation routinely sent lists of detainees—including U.S. citizens—to ICE based on flawed assumptions regarding their birthplace and language skills. Emails showed racist jokes and assumptions leading to ICE referrals, raising serious concerns about bias and discriminatory practices that hinder rehabilitation efforts.

A group of Black employees at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has alleged systemic racism, claiming that despite significant Black hires since 2018, they are marginalized and passed over for promotions, with concerns over a pervasive culture of dismissiveness by department leadership.

An open letter circulated by about 25 Black employees at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation detailed experiences of racist behavior, discriminatory promotion practices, and inadequate responses from leadership. The letter calls for increased Black representation in executive roles, pay equity, and a more meaningful overhaul of diversity and inclusion programs.