Washington lawmaker with past convictions introduces bill to pay state prisoners minimum wage
The representative has previously worked to restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies and to reduce penalties for drive-by shootings in order to promote "racial equity."
A Washington state lawmaker who is a former convict is aiming to start paying inmates for working prison jobs.
Democratic Rep. Tarra Simmons said in a statement, "This is an evolution of slavery,” and is proposing that the convicted felons be paid minimum wage for working in the kitchen or while producing other goods.
Simmons is an attorney and co-founder/director of the Civil Survival Project, an organization that advocates for former convicts. The representative has previously worked to restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies and to reduce penalties for drive-by shootings in order to promote "racial equity," even as the state has grappled with a spike in shootings and homicides.
Simmons pre-filed House Bill 1024, also known as the "Real Labor, Real Wages Act," for the upcoming 2023 state legislative session, which begins on Jan. 9.
She purports to be the first person elected to the legislature after being convicted of a felony. Simmons served a 30-month prison sentence for theft and drug charges and during her incarceration worked as a custodian as well as in the prison kitchen and laundry room.
Simmons claimed, "When I was incarcerated, I was forced to work graveyard shifts for less than $0.42 per hour,” and added that the income prisoners earn often goes toward fines and fees imposed by courts.
According to the lawmaker, felons have little to cover basic expenses upon release, and being released from prison without financial support leads to recidivism, homelessness, and substance abuse.
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