#Hundreds of California inmates helping fight wildfires for just a few dollars a day

Hundreds of California inmates are helping to fight wildfires raging across the state — and getting paid just a few bucks a day for their efforts.

Inmate “hand crews” have been used as a key source of firefighting labor in the Golden State for decades, but the practice is facing increased scrutiny with critics saying its a form of slave labor.

Currently, there are at least 100 crews made up of 1,219 incarcerated firefighters battling several of the more than two dozen blazes raging across the state, the Fresno Bee reported Thursday.

Each crew is typically overseen by a captain from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. They use chainsaws and tools to cut firelines, and they help mop up after a fire is contained, according to the newspaper.

They make between $2 and $5 a day, plus $1 per hour when they’re on a fire, the report said.

Activists charge the measly amount is appalling considering that firefighters at many agencies earn six-figure salaries, plus benefits.

And, many inmates who helped battle the blazes can’t land a firefighting gig once they’re out because of their criminal records. A bill that aims to address that issue passed in the state legislature and is currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature or veto, the Bee reported.

The ranks of prisoner firefighters has been depleted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many prisoners were granted early release to stop the spread of COVID-19 in overcrowded facilities.

But even over the last several years, the number of prisoners eligible to work as firefighters has steadily declined because of criminal justice reform.

Only people with less serious felony offense can participate, and state officials have been trying to shrink the prison population by diverting lower-level offenders to county custody or releasing them outright.

Fire officials have requested hand crew teams from out of state over the labor shortage.