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Committee clears bill removing state cap on county jail wages for incarcerated workers
Summary
AB 248 would remove a statutory maximum wage (25¢ per hour) for county jail labor and restore local control so county boards of supervisors can set wages. The panel moved the bill to the Senate floor as amended.
The Senate Public Safety Committee voted to send Assembly Bill 248 to the Senate floor. AB 248 removes a state law wage cap that limits how much counties can pay incarcerated people for labor in county jails.
Assemblymember Brian, the bill’s sponsor, said the state’s statutory cap — historically described in testimony as 25¢ per hour (and referenced in hearing as a $2 maximum per eight‑hour shift) — is an arbitrary limit that should be set locally by county boards of supervisors. The bill does not itself set a wage floor; rather, it lifts the state ceiling and leaves wage and benefit decisions to county budget processes.
Junius Winters, who testified from lived experience after working in a county jail, described performing early‑morning food service, cleaning and maintenance shifts for little or no pay and urged lawmakers to restore fairness and dignity to incarcerated workers. Supporters included public defenders, reentry groups and county officials; Los Angeles County staff testified in support.
Committee members voiced bipartisan support for restoring local control and noted the bill imposes no state fiscal cost. Senator Caballero suggested counties could permit incarcerated people to build savings that might be used to pay restitution and reduce reincarceration for unpaid court‑ordered debts.
The committee approved the bill as amended and referred it to the Senate floor. The committee vote recorded on the floor was 5‑0 in favor of sending the bill forward.
