California’s century-old prison firefighter program is drawing new criticism as hundreds of prisoners are sent to fight deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
As of Thursday, 783 incarcerated firefighters were working around the clock to slow the spread of large fires as part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Fire Camp Program.
The state is one of at least a dozen that operate these fire camps and send incarcerated people to fight fires. Last year, California voters rejected Proposition 6, a ballot initiative that would have banned involuntary labor in prisons and jails. The proposal includes using incarcerated people to help fight wildfires when there aren’t enough experts to help. The proposal failed despite support from Democratic leaders, advocacy groups and labor unions.
The devastation of the LA fires has prompted California residents to criticize CDCR’s fire plan for not adequately compensating at-risk prisoners.
A significant number of “firefighter members are incarcerated,” and some “can’t even get a job in the fire department after being released,” one person wrote to X.
Another official said incarcerated firefighters are more likely to be injured on the job because they are “trained and given options, but paid very little.” he added.
Kim Kardashian is speaking out. On Saturday, January 11, the reality star took to Instagram to show her support for firefighters battling the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming “hundreds” of firefighters are in jail and deserve higher pay. did.
According to CDCR, the program pays inmates up to $10.24 per day and gives them the opportunity to earn more if they are in an emergency situation.
To be eligible for the firefighting program, inmates must be considered physically and mentally healthy, must serve eight years or less in prison, and must have no prior convictions for crimes such as arson or sexual assault, according to the CDCR. It is said that it should not be done. Participants in the program can earn time off from their sentences for each day they work as a firefighter, and some prison officials may even have their records expunged. Some critics say the program is exploitative because incarcerated firefighters are forced to choose between receiving a reduced sentence or risking their lives.
In a statement, a CDCR spokesperson confirmed the number of incarcerated firefighters and acknowledged that employees are “embedded into the CAL FIRE workforce to protect life, property, and natural resources in Southern California.” I’m proud.”
The devastating wildfires have killed at least 24 people and displaced about 180,000 people, authorities said. High winds and dry weather caused the fire to spread further, ravaging 40,000 acres in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, destroying entire communities and more than 12,300 structures.
The program began in 1915, when the country regularly called on incarcerated people to fill gaps.
Lori Wilson, a California congresswoman who spearheaded Prop. 6, said she has spoken to people serving time in prison and many say they love their work as firefighters, but wish they had been paid more. He said he was there.
The fire chief from Northern California’s El Dorado Hills, who is helping fight the Los Angeles fires, described the frustration of seeing so many people go up in flames in the Eaton fire while trying to save homes.
“They find it really rewarding and enriching,” Wilson told NBC News. “That’s something they’re very proud of. We’re fighting to get extra wages and to get the compensation we deserve. Not only are we getting paid well, but we’re fighting to get the compensation we deserve once we get out of prison. , and can use its services for further employment.”
“There’s an imbalance there that needs to be addressed,” she said.
A 2022 report from the American Civil Liberties Union and the University of Chicago’s Global Human Rights Clinic found that prisoners who receive little or no compensation produce more than $2 billion in goods and household goods annually. It turns out.
“When you’re put in a position of extreme oppression and exploitation, it’s like an opportunity to be outdoors instead of in a concrete cage with bars. People will embrace that.” said George Gulbis, co-founder and executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, an organization that works to reduce incarceration and criminalization.
“So you could say this is a voluntary program, but when you’re not offered a lot of options, you really don’t have many choices. It’s exploitative,” Gulbis said.
Matthew Hahn, who spent nine years in prison, wrote in a 2021 essay for The Washington Post that while his criticism of fire camps was valid, doing the dangerous work was “better than being in prison.” I wrote it. He said some prisoners often dream of joining the firefighting program.
NBC’s national climate reporter Chase Cain explains why Los Angeles’ Palisades fire is so scary.
“Conditions in California’s prisons are so dire that fighting wildfires is a rational choice. It’s probably also the safest choice,” he wrote.
Hasan Piker, a popular left-wing political creator who has amassed a huge following on social media, uploaded a video on Sunday of him speaking to imprisoned firefighters in California. His videos have only furthered the online conversation about the fire program.
“We’re the backbone of the operation,” one man told Piker. “We go out there and put in the hard work. … We got the rough and tough end of the stick.”
Another man, who gave his name as “Kimbo,” said he was part of the Growlersberg Conservation Camp in Georgetown, California. He said he makes about $5 a day, averages about $180 a month, and often works 24-hour shifts.
He said he and his team work using hand tools. “We’re infantry. We scrape in the bushes, we use chainsaws,” he said.
“It takes hours. We go into places that bulldozers can’t go through. We go into narrow places, really steep places, places where bulldozers would fall if they tried to climb up there,” he said. , added that the workers endure grueling physical labor for very little pay. “It’s dangerous. Sometimes you have to avoid rocks.”
Like Hahn, Quimbo said the job may be dangerous, but it’s better than the alternatives. “It’s much better” than being in prison, he said. “I was in the prison yard and saw men being stabbed, jumped, and beaten. Cops treat us badly — but it’s better here. We can get treatment. They talk to us like humans. We’ve got a job. The pay is low, but there’s a job.”
Camp officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the conditions of the incarcerated firefighters.
After their release, they can apply to work with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, according to CDCR. “But then they’re going to have a hard time with background checks and things like that,” Wilson said. “There are still many barriers that prevent us from getting the most out of it.”
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