Change To Penal Code Allows Hiring Firefighters with Criminal Records

Inmates who participated in one of the 44 California Conservation Camps received the same training from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or CAL-FIRE as it gives to seasonal firefighters, but inmates are paid $2 to $5 a day in camp and an additional $1 to $2 an hour when they’re on a fire line. But once they were out of custody, former inmates couldn’t get hired on with fire crews despite their training and experience because of their criminal backgrounds. | By Manny Otiko, California Black Media After Brandon N. Smith was imprisoned for the ninth time, he found himself at a crossroads. That’s when he learned about the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) conservation campfire crews, which allows inmates to train as firefighters. Smith initially joined the program to get out of his

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