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Inmate Firefighters

CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler criticized the series “Fire Country” as a misrepresentation of the department, loaded with inaccuracies
Inmates said they were “mocked and ignored” when they told their supervisors of what would later be determined as second-degree burns and blisters
This August about 1,670 inmates are in fire camps, including staff like cooks and laundry workers, down about 40% from August 2019
With two felony convictions each, the two plaintiffs also cannot serve in many fire departments
With its $3.4M budget, the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program has trained more than 3,000 individuals and helped more than 140 get jobs in the fire service
It’s a question that comes up year after year, particularly during wildfire season
Prison officials agreed to correct a mistake related to good-conduct credit rules that had mistakenly extended sentences
State correctional officials said that minimum-security inmate Edgar Benitez, 25, was missing from his assigned housing at Growlersburg Conservation Camp
A flaw in the new good-conduct credit program caused some inmates’ sentences to be lengthened rather than cut short
The 31-year-old inmate, who had been on a CAL FIRE crew battling a wildfire outside Sacramento, drove the engine off the road and rammed it through a fence
Brian Dunn, attorney for Jacorey Shaw’s parents, says there was both negligence and a cover-up conspiracy involved in Shaw’s death investigation
One of the pardoned inmates had been seriously injured battling a wildfire last year
The bill encourages hiring of former inmate firefighters, requires education on post-release employment and establishes a peer mentorship program
The state seeks to drastically increase its number of inmate firefighters ahead of the next fire season
Less than half of the state’s inmate fire crews were available to fight record-breaking wildfires last summer
As part of the San Bernardino County FD’s pilot program, nine former inmates were hired to help reduce fuels and provide other fire-related services
Bounchan Keola, who fled Laos as a refugee at the age of 2, was turned over to ICE after completing his prison term for second-degree attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm
Investigative reports outline the circumstances leading up to the death of Cresson Firefighter Diana Jones, and the injury of an unidentified inmate firefighter who was struck by a falling tree in a separate incident
The change reflects a steep decline in California’s prison population since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is projected to save the state about $14.7 million per year
Former inmates who fought fires while incarcerated will now have the chance to have their criminal records expunged upon release
AB2147 would allow inmates, who have trained at state fire camps in prison, to have their criminal records expunged
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state’s plans for this year’s complicated wildfire season on Thursday
More than half of the state’s inmate firefighting crews will be unavailable to fight wildfires due to the lockdowns
Seasonal Firefighter Dario Gurrola, who was convicted of two felonies, filed a complaint against state EMS officials last week
Four former prisoners who completed the 18-month program have been hired as firefighters, per the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
For several years, state lawmakers have considered various bills to change the law so that inmate firefighters aren’t disqualified by their criminal records
Fernando Deras, 31, was serving a four-year sentence for willfully inflicting corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a spouse
Inmates train to fight fires and respond to other disasters at the camps, where they are supervised by a mix of correctional and firefighting staff