Inmates are saving lives in California. Under the state’s Conservation Camp Program, more than 3,000 prisoners support state and federal agencies during natural disasters[1]. Majority have received the same basic training as volunteer firefighters and are authorized to put out fires.
These inmate employees earn “between $2.90 and $5.12 a day, and an additional $1 an hour when …battling fires.”[2] On top of low pay in prison, these people struggle to land jobs as firefighters, despite their training and experience, because of government restrictions on hiring convicts.
Assemblywomen Eloise Reyes is working to change that. Reyes proposed a bill to provide a way for “former inmates to become professional firefighters.”[3] In her bill, Reyes adapts the law that establishes California’s statewide apprenticeship program to not only recruit underrepresented minorities but also former inmates. In addition, the bill reduces barriers to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license, a requirement for many firefighter positions. Currently, an EMT license can be denied to individuals who “have been convicted of at least 2 felonies, have been on parole or probation, or been imprisoned in the last 10 years.”[4] As you can imagine, many former convicts are on parole as part of their sentence. Some are even given an early release with parole. As a result, few people qualify for an EMT license. And no one is qualified the day they leave prison.
Reyes’ bill now sits on the State Senate floor. If passed, this bill will demonstrate to other states how removing obstacles to occupational licenses can ease the reentry process for former inmates.
There is still plenty of work to do to improve the prison system and reentry. Inmates need to receive training and develop useful skills for industries that need workers. Fire departments in California already receive “plenty of applicants”for the available jobs. [5] In addition, inmates need to be connected to employers before leaving prison. This early development of professional relationships gives newly freed people a place and job to go to.
Luckily, the current administration supports bipartisan criminal reform with the goal to reduce recidivism and unemployment among former inmates. Hopefully, with this encouragement, we will see more bills like Reyes’ in Congress and state legislatures.
[1] Chapman, Isabelle. “Prison Inmates Are Fighting California’s Fires, but Are Often Denied Firefighting Jobs after Their Release.” CNN. Cable News Network, October 31, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/31/us/prison-inmates-fight-california-fires-trnd/index.html.
[2] id.
[3] “Assembly Bill.” Bill Text – AB-1211 Firefighters. California Legislative Information. Accessed November 14, 2019. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1211.
[4] Southern California Public Radio. “California Bill to Ease Pathway for Former Inmates to Become Firefighters.” Southern California Public Radio, March 14, 2019. https://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2019/03/14/64279/california-bill-to-ease-pathway-for-former-inmates/.
[5] supra 1
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