ON THE FRONTLINES

Hundreds of the California Firefighters Are Prison Inmates

Incarcerated firefighters make as much as $10.24 a day.

Hundreds of prison inmates are battling the inferno tearing across Southern California, according to The Guardian. The incarcerated firefighters account for 395 of the nearly 2,000 firefighters currently on the frontlines. They volunteer for the program and work alongside firefighters employed by the state’s forestry and fire protection department. The inmates make between $5.80 and $10.24, with a bonus dollar per hour when responding to an emergency, The Guardian reported. During a 24-hour emergency shift, they can make $26.90. It is among the better-paying jobs behind bars. In a statement to The Guardian, the department of correction’s secretary, Jeff Macomber, called the incarcerated firefighters “essential,” adding that “their commitment to protecting lives and property during these emergencies cannot be overstated.” Some critics of the program have said that it exploits the inmates' labor. Amika Mota, though, who battled fires between 2012 to 2015 while he was incarcerated, told The Guardian that the firefighters “are walking into these horrible conditions proud to be there.” He remarked, however, that the wages do not reflect the heroism or difficulty of the work. According to NPR, graduates of the program struggle to find work as firefighters upon their release.