United States: Prisoners freed to become firefighters and tackle Los Angeles fires
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has just announced that 783 inmates have been temporarily released to become firefighters and help fight the fires that have been raging in the state since January 7.
The prisoners have volunteered to join the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Uncontrollable fires broke out in Los Angeles on January 7. In order to join the firefighting missions, inmates must meet certain criteria, such as not having been convicted of murder, arson, rape, sexual offenses and other serious crimes. Their remaining sentence must be less than 8 years. These prisoners take part in specific operations, removing fuel from firefighters' paths or cutting fire lines. They can also play a support role in relief camps, in the kitchen and laundry for example.
The CDCR reports that these inmates are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day of work, depending on their degree of skill, i.e. less than the minimum wage. They can get an extra dollar per hour if they're mobilized in active emergencies. For each day worked, their sentence is also reduced by two days, and once out of prison, they can work at Cal Fire.
(MH with AsD - Source : La Dépêche - Illustration : Pixabay)