Incarcerated Firefighters in California
A new law has been signed by Newsom, increasing pay for incarcerated firefighters in California.
The wage increase is funded through the state budget and comes after years of advocacy to improve pay and working conditions for incarcerated labor.
Background
The effort to improve conditions for incarcerated firefighters gained urgency after hundreds were deployed to battle deadly wildfires in Los Angeles in January.
Significance
State lawmakers introduced a seven-bill "Firefighting to Freedom" package to protect incarcerated firefighters and support job opportunities upon their reentry.
Five of these bills were signed into law, marking the most comprehensive changes to incarcerated firefighting in the state's history.
The "Firefighting to Freedom" package aims to support job opportunities for incarcerated firefighters upon their reentry.
Author's summary: Newsom signs law to increase pay for California's incarcerated firefighters.