US Wildfire Suppression Employs Prisoners... Daily Wage Only '16,000 Won'

Correctional Authorities Deploy 900 Inmates to Firefighting Efforts
Two Days Off Sentence for Each Day of Firefighting Work

As wildfires in Los Angeles (LA), California, continue for a week, correctional authorities have deployed over 900 inmates to firefighting efforts.

On the 11th (local time), the US daily The New York Times (NYT) reported this, stating, "Although this is based on old laws and practices, there is criticism that inmates are being paid less than minimum wage to perform dangerous work."

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced that 939 inmates, including 110 support personnel, have been deployed to fight the wildfires. The inmates' roles mainly involve creating firebreaks and removing flammable materials to prevent the spread of the fire; they do not operate firefighting equipment such as hoses directly. They are paid up to $10.24 per day (approximately 15,650 KRW), with an additional $1 per hour (1,470 KRW) hazard pay during emergencies.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recently announced via social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) that 939 inmates were deployed to firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles (LA) area. Photo by Yonhap News, captured from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's X account.

The daily wages they receive are outrageously low compared to California's minimum wage of $16.50 per hour (approximately 24,300 KRW). However, inmates receive a separate benefit of a two-day reduction in their sentence for each day they participate in firefighting duties. The 110 support personnel, who do not engage in direct firefighting, receive a one-day sentence reduction per day of work.

In the United States, inmates have no right to refuse work assigned by correctional authorities or to choose the type of work. The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime for which the person has been duly convicted.

Meanwhile, at the LA fire sites, not only is there a shortage of manpower, but firefighting water supplies have also been depleted, leading to the use of seawater, which is not typically used for firefighting.

On the 12th, the US Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the LA County Fire Department is using two Bombardier CL-415 "Super Scooper" firefighting aircraft to scoop seawater from the Pacific Ocean and use it to combat fires in the most severely affected Pacific Palisades area. Seawater is generally avoided because it contaminates soil and corrodes firefighting equipment. However, due to the shortage of firefighting water, it has been deemed difficult to fight the fires using freshwater alone, leading to the emergency measure of using seawater for firefighting.