Friday, January 10, 2025

Los Angeles fires: Incarcerated people are fighting the flames

As we witness these heartbreaking scenes from the fires in LA, an important reminder that incarcerated people make up over 30% of California’s forest firefighters.

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— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran.com) January 8, 2025 at 1:41 AM

The recent LA fires shed light on a troubling practice in California: the use of incarcerated individuals to fight wildfires. This system, which utilizes an exception in the 13th Amendment, raises serious human rights concerns. 🧵⤵️

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— Human Rights Watch (@hrw.org) January 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM

The slavery exception in the 13th Amendment allows for forced labor in prisons “as punishment for a crime,” and this loophole perpetuates a cycle of inequity. Prison labor should help incarcerated individuals prepare for a return to society and never be punitive.

— Human Rights Watch (@hrw.org) January 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM

There are 395 incarcerated firefighters helping combat the wildfires in LA right now. They earn up to $26.90 over a 24-hour shift.

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— Julia Carrie Wong (@joolia.bsky.social) January 9, 2025 at 10:55 AM
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