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This is a great informational thread that is clarifying, but doesn't really negate my actual issue. While the personal freedoms are nice perks, you're still being paid criminally low wages. The point still stands, that $5-10 a day even with a 1 dollar bump is allowing the state to side step funding.

Matthew Hahn@matthewhahn.com

I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012. Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place. A thread.

I promise I'm not trying to be stubborn, but I'm sorry. When we're looking at and questioning pictures of black and brown teens in a program and a white man tells us "it's fine it worked for me" I'm left scratching my head at how quickly people have flipped and went "Oh, well maybe we were wrong!"

One success story about disenfranchisement from a white male perspective is not going to make about face that quickly. I love that these hours knock off time served too! However, while we can acknowledge that, the main issue wasn't the fact that they were sent back into the prisons.

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The base monthly rate for a similar seasonal role is $3,672.00 - $4,643.00. These kids if working a full month make $336 at a max rate. Less than 10% of the low end for the same amount of work. (I'm sure it's not exactly 1:1, but still) This incentives the over policing and incarceration of poc.

I like what you’re saying in this thread, but just want to correct one point here. The most a firefighter can make in camp in a month is roughly $1050 (daily pay + incident pay). I know this doesn’t negate your larger argument, but it does allow folks to parole with a significant amount of money.

How is this not just the rebirth of convict leasing? But instead of leasing the labor to private individuals and organizations, the state is using it to offset their own labor costs. The immorality of the system is the same regardless of whom the prisoners are performing the labor for.

incentivizes* This might be a wild idea, but the compassion and rehabilitation opportunities that are given to the kids giving a 90% discount to the state should be available to all prisoners. That's my "wild" theory.

OP does such a great job highlights how giving purpose and guidance really helps give these incarcerated teens a chance to turn a new leaf. Imagine if we had that approach for all incarcerated people?