The Daily Populous Wednesday January 15th, 2025 morning edition
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BigWhiteDog on January 14th, 2025 at 18:12 UTC »

Every time we have a set of major fires out here, this stupidity comes up.

So for those that don't know the program here, it's a joint program between Cal Fire and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) (there are county programs now also, this isn't about them). It's not like most prison work programs where you can be voluntold, that won't work with a hand crew. The imates have to apply for the program and it's highly sought after. It's restricted to non-violent, non-sex crimes inmates. Once they are accepted and pass a physical, they are sent to a training academy located at the Sierra Conservation Center, a state prison that is the program fire training center and also an educational center. The training is conducted by Cal Fire Captains.

Once an inmate graduates they are assigned to 1 of 32 Concervation Camps around the state. Each camp, in addition to fire suppression, emergency response (they are often used in remote area rescues where someone has to be packed out), and prevention work, also has a specialty such as automotive, carpentry/woodworking, welding, metal fab, sewing, etc. Some camps also staff an MKU (Mobile Kitchen Unit) to respond to major incident base camps to feed the firefighters. Inmate cook crews lay down the best base camp food anywhere, better than probably any contracter meal.

In addition to pay, they get much better living conditions once at camp than inside, with no cells, fewer guards, no armed guards or gun towers, no barbed wire or even a fence (with the exception of the 2 camps that used to be in the country and now are in some SoCal City! 🤣), better food (and more of it with "fireline meals", which is a classification here), more conjugal visits sometimes even overnight), usually get to live in some most beautiful/scenic parts of the state, get training in at least 2 skills, when they successfully complete their time, they can apply to a new statefire training program that would certify them the same as any metro department fire academy, or they can get hired by Cal Fire, some Feds, and private contactors. They get time off their sentences (2 days for every 1 in the program) and now also can petition to have their record expunged and be to get an EMT cert (that was 1 of the hangups) and try for a local government career.

The real frustrating part of these hysteronic articles that we see every bad fire season is that they never talk to successful former program members, often get things wrong (one of the articles that triggered this round mixes two completely separate programs and interviews the wrong person!), and then everyone runs around all atwitter about "slavery", and "Those poor inmates", talking for and over them instead of listening to them and not actually doing anything for them, then once the fires are out, everyone goes on to the next shiny object and forgets all about doing anything or even that they exist until the next major fires and we start this cycle all over again!

Edit. Funny how many here can't see themselves in the last paragraph...

Wishilikedhugs on January 14th, 2025 at 18:50 UTC »

Hasan Piker interviewed some of them and the primary thing they kept telling him is that they understand that they are being taken advantage of and know they are being underpaid and put into a lot of danger... but the locals have been treating them with such respect and giving them sincere gratitude that it makes them almost feel like normal people again. Some feel like they've regained their dignity and are part of the community again.

Not advocating for or against this program, I just thought it was an interesting take from the inmates. But I do hope those who committed less heinous crimes and have shown good behavior get a reduced sentence for their efforts here.

Thatdirtymike on January 14th, 2025 at 19:54 UTC »

I was a wildland firefighter for the feds for 7 years. Whenever my crew were working near/along side those kinds of crews the guys were always stoked to be there. They seem to have great morale.