California, Release Eligible Prisoners: They're People, Not Free Labor

Although the Supreme Court has ordered that California must reduce its overcrowded prison population, the state of California continues to argue in court that it cannot release eligible prisoners. Their reasoning? Letting go of too many prisoners would cripple the prison labor system.

We, the signers of this petition, believe this excuse is appalling and unacceptable. Incarcerated Americans are not California's slaves. Reformed individuals should be permitted to leave as soon as possible, not kept in longer on some technicality in order to perform free and/or inexpensive labor so that the state can save money. We call on the Attorney General's office to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling and let eligible inmates go.