Supervisor Barger Protests Proposed Cuts to Inmate Firefighting Program

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to reconsider proposed budget cuts that would eliminate inmate firefighting crews in the County. The cuts, part of Newsom’s revised budget plan, would shut down five fire camps and remove 205 people from wildland firefighting teams.

Barger and Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey Horvath sent an open letter to Newsom on Friday, June 21, expressing their concerns about the potential impact on fire safety and inmate rehabilitation. 

The two Supervisors argued that removing these crews would result in slower response times and “greater damage and loss in the County.”

“As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, the fires in Los Angeles County are fast moving and destructive, putting people and property in danger,” Barger said. “Removing these teams not only puts our residents and region in harm’s way, but robs these crews of the opportunity to rebuild and rehabilitate their lives.”

The letter highlighted the recent Post Fire, which rapidly grew to over 15,000 acres, as an example of the ongoing wildfire threat in the region. The Supervisors warned that the proposed cuts would eliminate nine wildland firefighting hand crews, end 24-hour hand crew coverage within Los Angeles County, and create a significant gap in hand crew coverage in the Southern California area.

Barger and Horvath also stressed the rehabilitation aspect of the program, noting that it provides inmates with opportunities to rebuild their lives and acquire valuable skills. They described the inmate firefighters as “skilled teams that stand on the front lines” of the state’s battle against wildfires.

The Supervisors’ letter comes as California faces a critical shortage of wildland firefighting hand crews, a situation exacerbated by the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires due to climate change. They urged Newsom to consider the broader implications of the proposed cuts on the state’s ability to manage fire-prone landscapes.

Under the state’s Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, jointly operates 35 conservation camps, commonly known as “fire camps,” located in 25 counties across California. Two of the camps are for incarcerated women. CDCR employees oversee the fire camps, which are all minimum-security facilities.

Camp participants support state, local and federal government agencies as they respond to all types of emergencies such as fires, floods, and other natural or manmade disasters. Crews also maintain parks and assist with sand bagging during flood fighting operations and reforestation.

The program paves the way for several job opportunities and benefits after release, including advanced training and criminal record expungement. These pathways allow formerly-incarcerated people to seek professional emergency response certifications that were not previously available to them.