California needs to come up with a wildfire management plan that does not rely on underpaid, overburdened prisoner-firefighters. Climate change will only make this problem worse over time. insider.com/california-fac…
Incarcerated people in California can volunteer to work as wildland firefighters. They are paid, at most, $5.12/hour, plus $1/hour extra while on the fire line. Non-incarcerated wildland firefighters in California make $91,000 per year on average before overtime and bonuses.
Incarcerated wildland firefighters receive two days credit against their prison sentences for every one day they work for CalFire. Is the decision to work as a firefighter really "voluntary" for incarcerated people when the alternative is to stay locked in a cell?
Six incarcerated people have died fighting wildfires in California. More than 1,000 prisoner-firefighters have been sent to the hospital for injuries suffered on the fire line. Statistics show that they are four to eight times more likely to be harmed than other firefighters.
When incarcerated firefighters are released, they are often unable to get jobs as civilian firefighters. Most fire departments require EMT or paramedic licenses. In California, many formerly incarcerated people can't get these licenses until 10 years after their release date.
