Inmate firefighters housed in California’s county jails and state prisons would earn an hourly wage of as much as $19 beneath laws being thought-about by state lawmakers.
would elevate the hourly wage of jail inmates assigned to work on lively hearth scenes.
“They put themselves on the entrance strains,” Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan (D-Los Angeles), the vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, stated throughout a information convention Tuesday morning. “We now have thanked them, given ideas and prayers, we’ve gone to go to and tweeted out, however we haven’t paid them pretty or justly.”
Extra within the state Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation — a bunch that has traditionally of the California wildfire power — helped battle the Palisades and Eaton fires. They presently earn $5.80 to $10.24 a day, in response to the division’s web site.
Advocates, politicians and celebrities, together with John Legend and Kim Kardashian, have for inmate firefighters on the entrance strains of the wildfires.
These incarcerated in state jail or county jail battling the fires are capable of scale back a while off their sentences by incomes one or two days of credit score for daily of labor or coaching. They’re skilled and employed by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Conservation Hearth Camps Program. There are 35 hearth camps that function all through the state.
Paying inmates these increased wages beneath this invoice would value the state tens of tens of millions yearly, Bryan stated, and that would range based mostly on the depth of the fireplace seasons and the necessity for labor.
The California State Sheriffs’ Assn. opposes the invoice, saying it may create vital fiscal stress on counties which can be required to pay the upper wage.
At Tuesday’s information convention, former inmates spoke about their expertise working and coaching on hearth crews. They stated their work went past battling fires to additionally responding to automotive accidents and medical emergencies.
“We labored lengthy in harmful circumstances identical to the opposite first responders, however we’re paid low wages,” Laquisha Johnson, a former inmate firefighter, stated.
Adam Cain, one other former inmate who labored for the California Division of Forestry and Hearth Safety whereas incarcerated throughout the 2020 wildfires, stated he skilled difficulties respiration attributable to wildfire smoke and “serving to others survive” site visitors collisions.
Cain stated increased wages would assist prisoners pay for meals and hygiene, pay restitution that they owe to victims and their households, or save cash for after they’re launched.
“Whether or not you’re incarcerated or not, folks should be paid for his or her dedication,” he stated.
The invoice handed the Meeting Public Security Committee with bipartisan help. It’s headed to the Meeting’s Appropriations Committee for consideration.
