LOS ANGELES, CA – The Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) reported this week that the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires have drawn attention to the dangerous conditions facing incarcerated firefighters.
LSPC reported that nearly 1,000 incarcerated firefighters battled the Los Angeles wildfires alongside CAL FIRE and LACFD.
According to LSPC, these individuals earn as little as $5.80 per day, plus $1 per hour for emergency work. In contrast, professional firefighters make at least $85,000 annually and receive up to $1,000 per day during emergency deployments.
LSPC also cited research showing incarcerated firefighters are four times more likely to suffer serious injuries and eight times more likely to experience smoke-related health issues than their professional counterparts.
LSPC Executive Director Paul Briley criticized the system, stating, “When Prop 6 didn’t pass, it felt like the system got the green light to keep exploiting people. Now, California is seeing slavery play out in real time, with all of us watching incarcerated firefighters risking their lives without basic protections.”
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) classifies fire camp participation as voluntary, LSPC noted. However, LSPC explained many incarcerated individuals feel pressured to enroll due to promises of reduced sentences and limited alternatives.
According to LSPC, declining fire camp is not penalized, but refusing assigned duties after joining can result in disciplinary actions, including a return to high-security facilities. LSPC contends such policies blurs the line between voluntariness and coercion, reinforcing systemic exploitation.
Briley further condemned the practice, stating, “We must ask ourselves—what kind of society lets people risk their lives to save lives without recognition, simply because they are incarcerated? The same society that tolerates slavery under another name—that’s who.”
LSPC and WorkSafe are advocating for immediate reforms, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring incarcerated individuals and their families have a voice in shaping these reforms.
They are pushing for new safety standards to protect incarcerated individuals during climate-related disasters, policy updates to reflect modern climate challenges, and demanding fair pay and protective measures for incarcerated firefighters, LSPC noted.
According to LSPC, participation in fire camps must remain voluntary without punitive consequences for opting out, adding the state must address systemic injustices that force individuals to do dangerous work under the guise of choice.
