Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 30 Percent of California's Forest Firefighters Are Prisoners [View all]nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)32. This program started early in the 1940s, the modern form
is about the 1950s. The goal is not to save the state jack or shit. becuase it would be far cheaper to hire seasonal workers, even if they had to train and certify them. The cost of housing them is over 5500, CAL Fire, as Xinthras pointed above, tops at 3,000, both are monthly figures. So to just tell you how much they get paid misses half the picture. Or rather more than half.
The objective, and still remains the objective of this program, is to give people a skill, and structure, and pride and not to see them in front of a judge, like ever again. It is rehabilitation, And the state does not have private corp of America doing this... it is a state agency.
It is one of the few remaining rehab programs in the United States. And it works.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
80 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Perhaps. Perhaps this situation and this particular prison system is an exception
RadiationTherapy
Aug 2015
#58
You are mostly correct in those assumptions about the California Department of Corrections
nadinbrzezinski
Aug 2015
#59
Convicts of which laws? Outcomes of which prejudices and systemic pressures?
RadiationTherapy
Aug 2015
#57
Are you forgetting they get two days off their sentence for every day worked
yeoman6987
Aug 2015
#56
Of course it has issues, but there's no evidence of abuse in the CalFire program.
Xithras
Aug 2015
#10
Drug laws and homelessness laws are typically the ones that do little more than fill prisons.
RadiationTherapy
Aug 2015
#11
Prison labor profits both Ca AND the companies that provide it. Kamala Harris is plain creepy here.
stuffmatters
Aug 2015
#12
So you woudl rather have these people come in and out of prison for the rest of their lives?
nadinbrzezinski
Aug 2015
#45
+1000, they want to be outside the walls. Make them feel free. No one is forcing them either. nt
Logical
Aug 2015
#52
Will they get recognition as "first responders?" AND don't forget a huge portion of cheap labor
kelliekat44
Aug 2015
#62