For $1 An Hour, Inmates Fight Wildfires

Thousands Of Prisoners Are On The Fire Lines In Southern California

(AP)  They've stolen cars, used drugs and forged checks. When California is burning, they fight fires.

About a quarter of the 14,000 firefighters defending homes and businesses in Southern California from wildfires have been prisoners, officials said. Of the 4,400 inmates trained to battle fires in the state, 3,091 were on the front lines Friday from Lake Arrowhead south to San Diego.

"It's very close to the most we've ever used," said Seth Unger, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. About 3,000 inmates were used in 2003 during the Cedar Fire north of San Diego.

Not every inmate qualifies to be a firefighter. Those who do - male or female - must be physically fit, have no history of violent crime and have four to 36 months remaining on their sentences, Unger said.

Once chosen, inmates undergo a four-week program that includes training in fire safety and suppression. The program has been in existence since the 1940s and makes inmates available for other natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding.

Inmates earn $1 an hour, saving state taxpayers an estimated $80 million per year, department of corrections officials said. Inmates are often sent to cut fire breaks in locations that can't be reached by heavy machinery. They also help protect homes and businesses.

"The program provides great benefits to both the state and the inmate," Unger said. "The inmate not only gets to be outside, but gives back to the community, in some cases the same communities they may have victimized before."

In addition to the money and the chance to break the monotony of prison life, inmates earn two days of credit toward completing their sentences for every day they spend on fire lines.

Jose Robert Rosales, 23, an inmate at the Fenner Canyon prison camp in Valyermo, was one of more than 220 inmates dressed in orange jumpsuits marked "CDC PRISONER" helping fight a wildfire near Lake Arrowhead, said Lt. William Mock, who runs the Fenner Canyon camp.

Rosales said being on the fire lines has helped him plan for life after prison, when he hopes to return to work at his father-in-law's body shop.

"The program has helped me a lot physically and mentally," said Rosales, who was convicted of causing great bodily injury and making terrorist threats four years ago. "There's less stress, and you get to go out more and make more money, which will help me when I get out."

Some firefighters said without the help of inmates, the blazes may have caused more destruction.

"I think it would be very hard without them. It would really impact us," said Breck Wright, a state firefighter who said he has worked side by side with inmates on dozens of occasions. "They are very effective, hardworking and are well-trained. They know what they are doing."

At least one inmate firefighter has died in the line of duty. In July 1999, a male inmate died in Ventura County when he fell from a hillside.

[Krazcarl]

thefarrier...I know you don''t read the post you drop the same line on all of cbs stories. You do more harm then good for your canidate and have told him so.

[usaprophet]

Ron Paul does not support secret offshore prisons like the one in Guantanamo, where our government tortures prisoners, who have no right to redress of grievance, or to writ of habeus corpus. Ron Paul promises he will close these "illegal prisons" down. He wouldn''t necessarily just release the prisoners either. He said he would bring them to detainment facilities on U.S. soil where they would be entitled to an attorney and to their day in court--American Justice. Others agree with Paul. "Essentially, we have shaken the belief that the world had in America''s justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like a military commission," former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell recently said. "What can I do about it," you ask? Support the 2008 candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul for President. I believe he''s our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Throw-out the New World Order Neocons and their Socialist comrades in crime. Both groups consider themselves above the Law. Vote for a REAL American who will restore peace, prosperity and freedom to this country. Presidential candidates with the integrity and bearing the positive message of Dr. Paul only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The cause of freedom is too important to let anything stand in the way of our participation in this 21st Century political revolution. Don''t let the opportunity to support Dr. Paul slip by.

[Krazcarl]

thesiege1000...Thank you for the voice of reason in sea of insanity.

[michellem99-2009]

That is bush''s baby..A mess he made..Bush is safe.We are not..THE CONSTUTION IS MEANFUL.
The cons are battling a fire and yer whining..When are they the cops going to find the persons who did this..Some crazy fools..that is who ye should be pissed at not somes trying to put the fires out.

[michellem99-2009]

Let them help as their skills are needed..They can help build roads..That is better..They are safe..Let them..They f ed up now give tham a change to do the right thing..

[usaprophet]

I want to report a major fire, my friends. Our Constitution is on fire. And it''s currently being burned in Congress. See H.R. 1955, a.k.a., Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. I couldn''t believe it. Apparently, activists with Web sites are really begining to anger the elite insofar as they are publically holding them accountable for their evil. Here''s a part of the bill, which passed the house on Oct 23, in spite of Congressman, Ron Paul''s opposition thereto. The right to free speech on the Internet is gone, my friends. Look it up for yourself, and weep for your country that our rights have eroded this far. Here''s a short excerpt from the bill''s DEFINITIONS statement: "The development and implementation of methods and processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States is critical to combating domestic terrorism." Here''s another excerpt from the bill''s FINDINGS statement: "The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens." And guess who get''s to decide what is "terrorist-related propaganda?" You got it! The Department of Homeland Insecurity, an agency that''s answerable ONLY to The President. If Ron Paul isn''t elected, our country is doomed!

[thesiege1000]

I think the majority of you need to shut your traps because you have become vultures in our once gracious society.

These guys and gals are tough, courageous and deserve a lot more respect that you are giving them.

If you were held accountable for half the stuff that you are actually guilty of, you''d be whining your butts of inside the big house.

The inmate firefighters are the people who prove that they have what it takes to better their lives, and they WANT to show that they are human and still have good hearts.

Give them a break. And, in the words of Someone we all know, "You without sin cast the first stone."

[michellem99-2009]

Slavely..I got paid far less in a shrlter work shop years ago for what ye were too good to do..They get a dollar an hour..nice ..I GOT 11 DOLLARS FOR 80 HOURS..THAT WAS MAY 86..

[michellem99-2009]

America has more prisoms than other nations .Why..Are we better than the gents picked to save yer fancy home..No yer not..I am not and if they are able to help..money aside..the in mates are taged are they not so they can be tracked..

[Krazcarl]

thgdriver....&%$ seen them cleaning up roads goes to show nothing is safe was it a accident or a person with a agenda?