As the Los Angeles wildfires continue to burn the city, 1,100 Californian inmates have been working shifts to help extinguish and keep fires from continuing to damage the area. These fires have scorched more than 23,000 acres in the Palisades area and 14,000 acres in the Eaton area. Forecasters have warned that winds will only be getting worse and could reach up to 100 mph. As these fires continue to burn the land, the inmates have been a crucial part of containment efforts. However, many of these inmates are earning about $1 per hour while minimum wage in California sits at $16.50 per hour. For the treacherous conditions that these inmates face, they should be getting fairly compensated.

These workers do the same work that Cal Fire has been doing. They have been working 24 hour shifts cutting fire lines and removing things that could fuel the fires like propane tanks and dry vegetation. Additionally, these inmates are hiking up rugged terrain carrying heavy backpacks to cut containment lines to stop the spread of the fires. Their grueling work deserves the same compensation as others on the frontlines. By not paying the inmates the same amount we undermine the work they do and create an exploitative system.

The work that these incarcerated are doing has been essential to containing the fires. Although the department did not answer how many inmates have died, according to a 2018 Times investigation, incarcerated firefighters are four times more likely to be injured in their line of work. The risk that these inmates are taking on while trying to give back to their communities should not be ignored. It is unethical to pay people who are putting their lives at risk at the frontlines differently just because they have been incarcerated. 

Many of these inmates have joined this force to give back to their community. They are willing to take this risk because they believe it is their responsibility to give back to the community. Additionally, it is also our responsibility to honor them through fair compensation. Many of these individuals could potentially use this money to help them settle back into life once they are released. According to the Bureau of Justice, 83% of former inmates are incarcerated within nine years and many of them cite financial instability for their actions. The unemployment rate overall has skyrocketed and for the formerly incarcerated it is even worse. The jobs that they are able to get also pay significantly less than those same jobs for non incarcerated people. The money they earn from doing good deeds could prevent incarceration and create a better standard of living among the incarcerated.

As a country built off the principle of equality, it is important to remember that we must extend some of these principles to incarcerated firefighters. They continue to give back to the community despite the low wages they make and despite the dangerous conditions they must work through. These firefighters are no less than any other firefighters and it is even more important for them to get paid fairly.