Prisoners are fighting the California fires - $1.00/ hour

[PufPuf23]

22. Prisoners have low paying jobs in prisons.

The jobs defray the costs of incarnation, puts commissary $ in their pockets, may be job training, and is volunteer, even considered a privileged job. I spent 16 year as a USFS employee, and while not normally in my regular job, have fire experience and experience with the prisoner crews. They always seemed to have very high morale.

There are environmental work camps in CA for prisoners besides for fires and this is the source of the fire labor. They are referred to as "honor" or "conservation" camps and have been used since at least the 1960s. There is a CA Youth Authority Camp at the Whiskeytown NRA (where Carr Fire started).

It is silly to consider this slave labor as the prisoners involved like these jobs, though can be very hard work. Most of the work on fires is in support (kitchens, supplies, etc) or as holding or mop crews but not the crews that directly attack the fires. They have more freedom and receive better food while in the camps or on fires.

I have great respect for the prisoner crews. I think Amy Goodman missed the mark here casting asperations that the convicts are slave labor.