California prisoner firefighter program draws harsh criticism …
Jan 13, 2025 · California’s century-old prisoner firefighter program is drawing fresh criticism as hundreds of incarcerated people have been deployed to fight the deadly wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles...
'This has been really devastating': Inside the lives of incarcerated ...
Jan 18, 2025 · Incarcerated firefighters from the Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp 41, a medium-security state prison, are helping battle the Eaton fire.
California’s Incarcerated Fire Crews: “Why Won’t People Just …
Jan 17, 2025 · As firefighters are battling multiple huge blazes tearing through Los Angeles, California’s prisons have deployed more than 1,000 incarcerated people to battle on the frontlines.
Inmate firefighters: What to know about their role in California …
Jan 13, 2025 · Through the California Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, incarcerated people are among those risking their lives to fight the flames. The inmates, who are trained to respond to disasters like...
The Hidden Economic Forces Behind California's Use of Inmates …
Jan 22, 2025 · L.A. Fire Department firefighters earn between $85,784 and $124,549 per year with benefits, but inmate firefighters receive just $5.80 to $10.24 per day, plus an extra dollar per hour during ...
For Just Dollars a Day, Inmates Fight California’s Fires
Jan 11, 2025 · Criminal justice advocates say that California’s fire camp program — like other prison labor programs — exploits incarcerated people. The incarcerated firefighters are paid less than minimum ...
The History of California’s Inmate Firefighter Program
Sep 1, 2022 · In California, inmate firefighters form handcrews, creating breaks in vegetation and carving out swaths of barren soil that deny flames fuel to go further. They eke these precious perimeters out...
California's Reliance on Incarcerated Firefighters Sparks Debate …
Jan 12, 2025 · About 800 incarcerated firefighters are working with emergency responders to battle the Los Angeles wildfires as part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Fire Camp Program.. Nearly 2,000 incarcerated people regularly take part in the program, which trains incarcerees to work with the California Department of Forestry to respond to fire-related emergencies like ...
California wildfires: Prisoners called up to help fight fires : NPR
Jan 10, 2025 · California has relied on incarcerated firefighters since 1915. And prison labor has been used to respond to emergencies and disasters nationwide for centuries, said Bianca Tylek, executive...
California's inmate firefighter crews are dwindling - Los Angeles Times
Jul 9, 2024 · Inmate fire crews are made up of 12 to 17 firefighters, led by a fire captain. Inmates who have been convicted of violent crimes, such as rape, lewd acts with a child under 14 or any felony...