Prisoners Fight California Fires

The Massachusetts Department of Correction has gone in the opposite direction.

Forest Fires are not entirely a West Coast problem, but forest fires forced the California Department of Correction to accept prisoners could learn important skills and make an important contribution to society.

The Massachusetts Department of Correction has gone in the opposite direction. Massachusetts prisoners have been thrown away like garbage and whatever privileges, trades, education and fundamental opportunities have been stripped away.

The Massachusetts DOC reluctantly provides the absolute minimum so they can defend themselves against lawsuits or negative public scrutiny. Prisons in the Commonwealth provide a select few with modest schooling, basic trades, like making underwear and tee shirts. But, meaningful programs are scarce.

Massachusetts has its own natural disaster emergencies - hurricane's, flooding, and yes, forest fires. Like California, Massachusetts is unprepared. The Massachusetts DOC must explore the possibility of training prisoners to react and contribute when natural disasters strike.

Yes, there's a massive difference between the California prison system, a system with over 35 Correction Facilities - home to over 130,000 convicts. Massachusetts has about 13 institutions holding about 9000 incarcerated individuals. Still, there is no opportunity or utility for Massachusetts prisoners.

When I served 18 months in California prison, in the mid-1990's, I did not have enough time to become part of the ''fire camp'' program. Also, I was too old. Prisoners must be 35yrs old or under with a 24 month minimum commitment. Also, inmates classified to fire camps are generally minimum security eligible.

I served my 18 month prison sentence in a soft medium security institution near Stockton, California - Jamestown Correction Facility. A wide open prison camp holding nearly two thousand inmates in double-bunk barracks style dormitories. It was a brutal, violent experience filled with racism and lot's of gang obedience. Still, men would work hard to become classified as fire fighters.

Men in Jamestown, eligible for a fire camp, exercised all day long. There's a physical fitness test. And, eligible inmates kept clean records and made moves to be placed on the waiting list.

Massachusetts makes no effort to provide any opportunity for incarcerated individuals. Even though many natural disasters in the Commonwealth would benefit from inmate labor. Prisoners could prepare seaside communities for flooding - inmates can fill sandbags, for example.

Liberal progressive states, like California and Massachusetts often rely on best practices. Only, when it comes to Massachusetts, liberalism ends at the prison gate.

Prisoners are fighting fires in the Pacific Palisades. My home in Los Angels was inside Elysian Park, a short walk from Dodger Stadium. One year, fireworks from Fourth of July, set off a small fire - it was remarkable how fast the fire spread. In fact, if the fire wasn't stopped by a water drop, my entire neighborhood of Solano Canyon would have been destroyed.

California has a series of prisoner manned fire camps from San Diego to the top of the state. Thousands of incarcerated individuals earn a dollar a day, plus extra money for program participation, about $5.00 dollars a day. Plus, food in the fire camp is much better than in the prisons.

Prisoner's in Massachusetts languish in their cells. Correction facilities, like MCI-Concord, have closed and so Prisoner's in Massachusetts languish in their cells. Correction facilities, like MCI-Concord, have closed and so has important education and trades programs - like barbershop, wood working, plumbing and electrical trades. have been destroyed. California has a series of prisoner manned fire camps from San Diego to the top of the state. Thousands of incarcerated individuals earn a dollar a day, plus extra money for program participation, about $5.00 dollars a day. Plus, food in the fire camp is much better than in the prisons.

Prisoner's in Massachusetts languish in their cells. Correction facilities, like MCI-Concord, have closed and so has important education and trades programs - like barbershop, wood working, plumbing and electrical trades.

Now is the time the Massachusetts DOC must recognize there are hundreds of qualified prisoners eager and willing to contribute to society. Hundreds of prisoners, like in California, who can and should be trained in fire fighting and other natural disaster emergencies.

Author Corrections:

1. Inmate Fire Fighters earn between $5.80 and $10.25 daily plus $1.00 dollar per hour during emergencies.

2. Approximately 900 inmate firefighters in Conservation Fire Camp Program

3. Conservation Fire Camp program established by California Department of Correction in 1940's. (1946). Expanded 1959.

4. In 2020 California State Legislature allowed Inmate Fire Fighters to dismiss their convictions and work as first responders.

Source: USA Today 1/14/25 ''Inmates Are Fighting California Wildfires: When Did it Start? How Much Do They Get Paid.'' By, Mary Wolrath-Holdrige