California Sends Hundreds of Prisoners to Battle Raging Wildfires, Pays Them Below Minimum Wage: 'Can Barely Afford Hygiene Supplies'

Inmate firefighters earn about $26.90 for a 24-hour shift

By @eliizabethurban
Widespread Online Claims Proven False as Report Shows LA Fire
Firefighters battle flames from the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. IBT

California has sent hundreds of prisoners to battle the wildfires raging across the greater Los Angeles area, and is paying them below minimum wage, according to a report.

As raging winds and dry conditions continue to aid the spread of wildfires, 783 inmate firefighters have been deployed to help combat the flames, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told The Guardian. Of those prisoners, 395 are on the front lines.

Inmate firefighters make far below the state's minimum wage of $16 an hour, earning about $26.90 for working a 24-hour shift, according to the CDCR. When not responding to major disasters, incarcerated responders earn between $5.80 and $10.24 a day, plus an additional $1 an hour for emergencies.

The pay actually had a recent raise. Before 2023, inmates could earn either $0.16 to $0.74 an hour, or between $5.80 to $10.24 a day, as reported by Forbes.

"We're doing this heroic, crucial work, but many people inside cannot support their family, can barely afford to just get hygiene [supplies] for themselves. Nobody is saving money with wages for when you go home. Nobody is able to send money to cover the expenses their children are incurring," Amika Mota, who previously served as an incarcerated firefighter, told The Guardian.

While Mota, who now works as the executive director of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition supporting both former and currently incarcerated people, added that working for the program can give inmates a sense of purpose, others have reported challenges finding work as a firefighter following their release.

California is home to more than 30 "fire camps," or conservation camps, where incarcerated individuals can be trained on responding to disasters. Inmates cannot be forced to register to become firefighters.

As of last year, inmate firefighters made up about 30% of the state's wildfire crews, according to a July 2024 article by the Los Angeles Times.

Six fires are currently burning across the state. At least 10 people have died, and 180,000 have been forced to evacuate.

About 9,000 structures have been destroyed by two of the fires alone, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, as reported by NBC News. Estimated economic losses are in the billions of dollars.

Originally published on Latin Times

Tags
California, Los Angeles, Inmates
Join the Discussion
More Law & Society
Police Chief Spiked Officers' Coffee With Viagra, Left Body Hair

Police Chief Terrorized Staff by Pooping on the Floor, Spiking Coffee with Viagra and Sprinkling Body Hair on Food: Complaint

Texas Man Rammed Parked Tesla

Texas Man Rammed ATV Into Parked Tesla 'at Full Speed,' Keyed 'Elon' Into Side of Others: Police

Dumpster Diving Pedo_03282025_1

Binders of Child Porn Discovered in Dumpster by Homeless Duo Leads Man to Admit to Molesting Dozens of Children: Police

Prisoner Kills Man in Knife Attack Hours After Being Released

Prisoner Kills Man in Knife Attack Hours After Being Released From Jail Early