The use of hundreds of prisoners to combat the devastating wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area has sparked new criticism of California’s century-old prisoner firefighter program.
As part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Fire Camp Program, 783 inmate firefighters were working around the clock as of Thursday to assist prevent the spread of the enormous fires.
There are at least a dozen states that run similar fire camps and use prisoners to put out fires. Proposition 6, a ballot effort to outlaw involuntary labor in jails and prisons, including bringing inmates to assist in fighting wildfires when there aren’t enough specialists available, was rejected by California voters last year. Despite the backing of labor unions, advocacy organizations, and Democratic leaders, the proposal was unsuccessful.
Californians have criticized the CDCR’s fire program for undercompensating inmates who are in danger due to the terrible conditions of the L.A. fires.
One user commented on X that a sizable portion of firefighting teams are made up of incarcerated people, some of whom are not even eligible for firefighting positions upon their release.
Another stated that although jailed firemen receive training and are given options, they receive meager pay and are at risk of suffering injuries while on duty.
According to the CDCR, the initiative offers inmates up to $10.24 per day, with the possibility of earning more during active emergencies.
According to the CDCR, inmates must be judged physically and mentally fit, have eight years or less left on their sentence, and not have convictions related to sexual violence or arson in order to be eligible for the fire program. Prisoners who participate in the program might have their records wiped and receive time off for every day they serve on a fire crew. Critics claim that because jailed firemen are forced to choose between risking their lives and receiving reduced terms, the practice is exploitative.
In a statement, a CDCR representative verified the number of firefighters behind bars and said the firemen are honored to be working alongside CAL FIRE to safeguard Southern California’s natural resources, property, and life.
Authorities said that over 180,000 people had been displaced from their homes and that at least 24 people had died in the catastrophic wildfires. The fires that have ravaged 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area, destroying entire communities and over 12,300 houses, were fueled by strong winds and dry weather.
When the program first started in 1915, the state frequently asked prisoners to cover staffing shortages.
Inmates have told Lori Wilson, the California Assembly member who led the charge for Proposition 6, that they love their jobs as firefighters but wish they were paid more.
Wilson told NBC News that they find it genuinely fulfilling and uplifting. It is something of which they are really proud. We’re fighting for more money and just compensation. In addition to receiving fair pay, they will also be able to use that service to find other work after they are released from prison.
She stated that there is an imbalance that needs to be fixed.
According to a 2022 research by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Global Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago, inmates who were paid little or nothing annually generated over $2 billion worth of goods and commodities.
It’s like having the option to be outside instead of in an iron-barred concrete cage when you’re subjected to such tremendous oppression and exploitation. George Galvis, co-founder and executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, a group that aims to reduce juvenile prosecution and incarceration, stated that people will accept that.
You may argue that it’s a voluntary program, but when you’re not given many options, there isn’t much of a choice. According to Galvis, it is exploitative.
In a 2021 editorial for The Washington Post, Matthew Hahn, who served nine years in prison, stated that while there are legitimate concerns about the fire camps, he felt that performing the hazardous labor was preferable than going to jail. Some inmates frequently dream of joining a fire program, he said.
Fighting wildfires makes sense because of the appalling conditions in California jails. Additionally, he argued, it is most likely the safest option.
Popular lefty streamer Hasan Piker, who gained a sizable social media following as a political creator, posted a video on Sunday in which he interviews Californian firefighters who are detained. The online discussion on the fire programs was only strengthened by his video.
One worker told Piker, “We are the backbone of the operation.” We put ourselves out there and work hard. We are the ones that suffer the most.
Another individual, who went by Kimbo, claimed to be a member of Georgetown, California’s Growlersburg Conservation Camp. He claimed that he frequently works 24-hour shifts, earns roughly $5 per day, and makes an average of $180 per month.
We are the foot warriors, he continued, and he and his squad use hand tools. “We’re using chainsaws and scraping brush,” he stated.
Hours and hours are needed. We enter areas inaccessible to bulldozers. The workers put up with hard manual labor for very little money, he added, adding, “We go into tight spaces, real steep, where a bulldozer would fall if it would try to go up there.” It’s risky. Sometimes I have to avoid rocks.
Kimbo agreed with Hahn that although the work may be risky, it is preferable to the alternative. “It’s much better than going to jail,” he remarked. I witnessed men being stabbed, jumped, and beaten while I was in the prison yard. We are treated like s—by police. However, we are treated better here. They address us in a human-like manner. We were hired. Despite our low pay, we have a job.
A request for comment regarding the conditions of the detained firefighters was not immediately answered by camp officials.
Following their release, they can apply to work for Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the CDCR said. However, Wilson noted that they have trouble with background checks and similar procedures. They still face numerous obstacles that prevent them from making the most of that.