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263
$10.24 a day to risk their lives – and a lot of pride: incarcerated LA firefighters speak out (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/news
44 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

“I’ve never seen anything burn so quick,” said Almanza, 42, recounting the first day of the Eaton fire near Pasadena, California. “Our captains have to make the hard decisions: get yourselves killed or let the house burn.” His eyes welled up recounting the properties devoured as his crew had no choice but to retreat: “I was just so sad and emotional, because there was nothing we could do.”

Almanza is one of thousands of first responders who have put their lives on the line battling the historic windstorm-fueled fires that have ravaged LA.

Almanza is incarcerated and currently serving a state prison sentence, making up to $10.24 in daily wages fighting the wildfires, with $1 hourly bonuses while on the frontlines. Since last week, the California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) has deployed more than 1,100 incarcerated firefighters to the LA infernos, which have become some of the deadliest and most destructive in the region’s history.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I'm for the programs but against the execution.

Require these posititons to be licensed. Help the inmates get qualified to pass any and all exams. With good behavior and a set amount of time left, allow them to take the exams. This helps with future fire fighting and gives them a career once out. With a good prospect once out, they are less likely to recidivism.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

america loves slaves. and just like north korea the citizens have been indoctrinated for so long even the slaves take pride. what times to be alive.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Everyone has pride, silly

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Even corporations! I see those profile pictures during pride month.

Meta definitely stands with the LGBT+ community!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

pride not Pride

[–] jaggedrobotpubes 6 points 1 day ago

Oil companies, who are the reason these fires are as bad as they are, buy a one million dollar house for each enslaved firefighter in exchange for their service.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

10.24 a day and a sense of pride and accomplishment? So generous!

[–] RizzRustbolt 4 points 1 day ago

Now they can afford that Darth Vader lootbox.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Californians should be fucking embarrassed that they're exploiting the incarcerated population so fucking thoroughly.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Everyone's always quick to attack Cali for literally anything.

The firefighter / emergency reponder program is a volunteer position. Prisoners are not forced to join. They willingly joined, learned about the job, and are expected to help out when needed.

Everyone likes to complain about this as forced slavery, but this is one of the better programs inmates can volunteer in. They get experience, rehabilitation, and work towards emergency certificates that they can then use to get hired once they are released.

The other states have no comparable rehabilitation program. They'll gladly throw you out to the streets with a criminal record and let you suffer because a criminal record reduces your chance of getting a job by a significant amount.

Are there plenty of issues with the program still? Yes. There's long, grueling hours that comes with the nature of emergency response, bad pay, and a multitude of other issues, but a lot of it ties with how the prison system works and will take a lot of reform to set things right. I'm confident in Cali working towards those things though. This state has always been working for the people, even if it's a slow and tedious process.

And for those who actually care, you can read more about the program here:

https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It should be an embarrassment that you're letting people fight the fires threatening your homes and paying them literal peanuts. Other areas do similar shit and should also be embarrassed but that doesn't lessen the embarrassment that Californians should feel.

People are losing their fucking homes and these folks are fighting to keep them standing while being paid peanuts.

Yall should be fighting to make sure they get fair compensation even if that's not wholly available to them until after they've been released/granted probation.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've already stated that I think this volunteer position should have better benefits and pay. Despite that, I will stand behind this program being a step towards the right direction. This program is far from exploitation. It's not an embarrassment, and one of the few rehabilitation programs that actually attempts to help inmates get back on their feet after prison.

If you really think other states do any similar programs you're grossly mistaken. Except for a couple other blue states, the other states imprison people in for profit prisons, so they can lease forced labor for pennies. There's no comparable program in the states, and if you find a problem with the pay, you should be looking at literally everywhere else in the states that uses inmates for farm labor because those states refuse to pay people proper wages. Not to mention the fact that those are involuntary labor.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'd clarify - I don't wish this program didn't exist I just think the monetary compensation is an embarrassment. I'd much prefer to see these volunteers more properly compensated to set them up for post incarceration life.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

That's reasonable. It'll take a long time, they'll have to dismantle and rebuild almost the entirety of the prison system, but that's a goal we should be working for.

[–] x00z 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If prisons can rent out prisoners it creates a reason for prisons to have a lot of prisoners.

This by itself sets a dangerous precedent because they can just lobby against the people. Anti drug laws get them a lot of manpower so you'll see a lot of that. Literally lobbying for anything that gets more people in jail is a win for them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

This is already a motive for states/municipalities to try to have federal prisons built in their borders. The inmates get counted in the census and their numbers are used to determine appropriations, and they don't vote so you don't even have to pretend to care about them!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

cool motive, still slavery

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 days ago

Literally in my first paragraph I said it was a volunteer program

If you want to argue about forced inmate labor being the modern day slavery sure but that's not related to this program at all

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

"It's one of the better forced labor systems in our over-incarcerated racist system"

-A true hero for the downtrodden, baguette

[–] brlemworld 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I hope they get a huge fucking settlement when the get mesothelioma or whatever bullshit they breathe in. This is inhumane.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The ones that haven’t done anything serious will get shorter sentences…right?

[–] brlemworld 4 points 1 day ago

We have like minutes left. Biden should pardon them.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The state of prison labor is a disgrace. That said, the incarcerated firefighters I worked with in 2010to 2019 anecdotally wanted to be there, and specifically elected for the role.

It is my understanding that prisoners can be compelled to do labor, but cannot be forced to accept a hazard position.

Again anecdotally, everyone I chatted with saw the fire crew as a way out: (out of the cell for x days per year, out of the system by building skills, etc).

What I will acknowledge is that it is a dangerous role and they are not compensated sufficiently/ fairly, but many non incarcerated firefighters are paid comically poorly too.

I also anecdotally acknowledge that most assignments are NOT as dangerous/ long running, and in my experience incarcerated crews got mop-up/more routine assignments. The current increased danger may exacerbate their displeasure with this conditions.

I am not condoning anyone being in harms way against their will, and if these folks want out, they should be provided safe transport back to the jail without delay.

[–] PugJesus 3 points 2 days ago

It is my understanding that prisoners can be compelled to do labor, but cannot be forced to accept a hazard position.

Only in 16 states can prisoners still be compelled to do labor. Unfortunately, Cali is one of them.

[–] fishos 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It's well known inside that firefighter duty has more freedoms, WAY better food, and that pay rate is miles above anything else you can get while inside. That's not to say these aren't brave people risking their lives, but it is definitely a sought after position for it's many perks.

[–] RizzRustbolt 1 points 1 day ago

Also they can get their convictions expunged by working fire crew.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

In my opinion/experience, agree. As long as they can say "I've had enough, I want out, back to my cell"

[–] [email protected] -4 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I mean volunteering to work as a firefighter while you're in jail sounds like a cool idea. If i was in jail with nowhere else to go I would do it, and plus you get more money as a prisoner than a McDonalds employee 🫠

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

$10.24 per day is not more than McDonalds pays.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Another cool idea is to not die.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

This is California, he's paid below min wage (edit I misread as per hour, which is also below min wage)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

How much does a McDonald's employee make in a day, anyways? $10?