California’s Inmate Firefighters Deserve Decent Pay and a Chance at a Heroic Career

California’s inmate firefighters deserve decent pay and a chance at a heroic career

Guest Commentary: California has relied on incarcerated firefighters since 1915, when the Conservation Camp Program began. Today there are 35 conservation camps, also known as fire camps, across the state. Over the years, incarcerated people working in these camps have…

California's inmate firefighters deserve decent pay and a chance at a heroic career

Guest Commentary written by Andony Corleto Andony Corleto is a former incarcerated firefighter who now works as a program associate for Vera California, part of the Vera Institute of Justice. The first fire I remember fighting happened in the dense mountains of Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Giant ponderosa pines crashed down around us with little warning, weakened by fire and shooting off embers like fireflies in smoke.  It was one of the few…