Incarcerated people who helped fight wildfires struggle to build a career post-prison
NPRIncarcerated people who helped fight wildfires struggle to build a career post-prison NPR's Juana Summers talks with Royal Ramey, the co-founder and CEO of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, about the pathway for formerly incarcerated firefighters to build careers in the field. How I felt was, like, either I'm going to be a wildland firefighter, or I'm going to, you know, couch-surf or whatever at my mom's house. And then we also help with, you know, tech literacy 'cause I notice a lot of folks is - that when they come out of prison, it's kind of hard to navigate a website. So Gavin Newsom passed a law - I think about four years ago now - and what it pretty much does is help people that come out of, like, California Conservation Camps - being able to get their record expunged, which is amazing because it provides an opportunity where folks can, you know, apply to not only just fire careers, but, like, you know, they can have a brand-new life.
History of this topic
The next generation of firefighters learned how to fight fires while in prison
NPR
Meet the formerly incarcerated fire crew protecting California from wildfires
LA Times
Given The Choice Between Prison Life And Fighting Wildfires, These Women Chose Fire
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