Can you imagine an intense fire that destroys your home and spreads over 200 football fields in just 25 minutes? To fight the fires straight from nightmares, California has enlisted the help of more than 1,800 incarcerated individuals to staff camps across the state. While the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDRC) promotes rehabilitation, it often falls short, with 41.9% of those released returning, hindered by the three-strike law and legal job discrimination. Removing barriers to employment for previously incarcerated folks is essential to reducing recidivism and ensuring equitable growth for all, not just those with the privilege of having their felonies disregarded.
Hottest Camps in California
The Conservation (Fire) Camp program collaborates with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department to operate 35 fire camps supporting emergency response for various government agencies. The voluntary program requires incarcerated individuals to fit specific qualifications to be eligible. They complete four days of classroom training and four days of field training taught by CAL Fire staff, becoming certified wildlands firefighters. Thanks to a loophole in the 13th Amendment, CDRC pays pennies on the dollar ($27 a day) compared to the wages of civilian firefighters (around $30 an hour), allowing the prison labor system to profit from the underpaid labor of incarcerated people. Although they make up around 30% of the state’s wildfire force, the number of volunteers has dropped significantly. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Number of Incarcerated Women Volunteering for Fire Camps in California Over Time
Source: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Research SB601Dashboard
Behind the Employment Smoke Screen
Volunteering as firefighters while incarcerated equips individuals with transferable skills for civilian firefighter or emergency service roles, offering salaries between $85,315 to $124,549 in cities like Los Angeles, ultimately leading to secured employment after release. But is this attainable? A study conducted in 2010 found that upon their release, most incarcerated individuals with secured employment remained at or below the federal poverty level (See Tables 1 and 2). While it disaggregates data by gender and race, it fails to consider their intersection, overlooking the earnings of historically underpaid such as Black women.
Table 1. Earnings After Incarceration Disaggregated by Gender and Adjusted for 2024
Note: *Adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Federal Justice Statistics Program, 2010–2014; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2001–2019, Census Numerical Identification File, 2019, Decennial Census, 2000 and 2010, and Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Microdata, 2000–2014.
In September 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law allowing former non-violent inmates from the CDCR conservation camp seeking firefighting jobs to have their records expunged.
However, former incarcerated firefighter Royal Ramey told BBC many incarcerated firefighters released from prison are unsuccessful in landing a job as a civilian. He explained, “There’s a stigma to it[…] people think of some clean-cut guy, a hero, not someone who’s been locked up.” In 2024, the Department also implemented a policy barring visible tattoos while on duty.
Table 2. Earnings After Incarceration Disaggregated by Race and Adjusted for 2024
Note: *Adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Federal Justice Statistics Program, 2010–2014; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2001–2019, Census Numerical Identification File, 2019, Decennial Census, 2000 and 2010, and Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Microdata, 2000–2014
Set Employment Barriers Ablaze
Supporting employment opportunities for individuals previously incarcerated is crucial in reducing recidivism and poverty. By hiring ex-offenders, we not only foster rehabilitation but also strengthen communities. Many of these individuals are passionate about giving back through firefighting and eager to use their training for the greater good. Let’s change the culture together to promote second chances for all instead of the privileged few.
