People serving out their prison terms as firefighters form an integral part of the response to the devastating LA wildfires

“I’ve never seen anything burn so quick,” said Almanza, 42, recounting the first day of the Eaton fire near Pasadena, California. “Our captains have to make the hard decisions: get yourselves killed or let the house burn.” His eyes welled up recounting the properties devoured as his crew had no choice but to retreat: “I was just so sad and emotional, because there was nothing we could do.”

Almanza is one of thousands of first responders who have put their lives on the line battling the historic windstorm-fueled fires that have ravaged LA.

Almanza is incarcerated and currently serving a state prison sentence, making up to $10.24 in daily wages fighting the wildfires, with $1 hourly bonuses while on the frontlines. Since last week, the California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) has deployed more than 1,100 incarcerated firefighters to the LA infernos, which have become some of the deadliest and most destructive in the region’s history.

  • xmunk
    93·
    11 hours ago

    ‘May I just add, Mr Lipwig, that behind you there is a door. If at any time in this interview you feel you wish to leave, you have only to step through it and you will never hear from me again.’

    Moist filed that under ‘deeply suspicious’.

    […]

    Moist looked at him. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, standing up, ‘I’d just like to check something.’

    There were two men dressed in black standing behind his chair. It wasn’t a particularly neat black, more the black worn by people who just don’t want little marks to show. They looked like clerks, until you met their eyes. They stood aside as Moist walked towards the door which, as promised, was indeed there. He opened it very carefully. There was nothing beyond, and that included a floor. In the manner of one who is going to try all possibilities, he took the remnant of spoon out of his pocket and let it drop. It was quite a long time before he heard the jingle.

    Then he went back and sat in the chair.

    ‘The prospect of freedom?’ he said.

    ‘Exactly,’ said Lord Vetinari. ‘There is always a choice.’

    ‘You mean . . . I could choose certain death?’

    ‘A choice, nevertheless,’ said Vetinari.

    Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

    Technically speaking it is illegal for prisoners to be coerced into labor in the US - but it’s often strongly encouraged.

    • Rhoeri@lemmy.worldEnglish
      34·
      7 hours ago

      So…. Your evidence to the contrary is…. Fiction?

      Well played. I guess I learned my lesson here.

      /s

      • xmunk
        32·
        5 hours ago

        Oh no - it’s just that voluntary isn’t always a fully free choice. The passage above is a demonstration of a choice being offered that technically allows freedom but strongly encourages one choice. I used it instead of writing up a comment like this because it was more fun.

        • Rhoeri@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          55 minutes ago

          And you can’t know for sure exactly how things work in voluntary prison work, yet assume to know. What you’re doing is basing your entire argument on an assumption derived from the logic of a “fun” quote from a book.

          There is no evidence to support your assumption. And there is no evidence needed to support mine, as the burden lies ion you to prove I’m wrong. I’ll need something more substantial than fiction.