'Daily Wage of 16,000 Won'... US Authorities Deploy 939 Prisoners to Fight LA Wildfire

Below California's Minimum Wage

The California Department of Corrections has deployed 939 inmates to help extinguish a large wildfire that has been spreading in the Los Angeles (LA) area for a week. However, they are being paid a daily wage of $10.24 (15,645 KRW), which is below California's minimum wage of $16.50 (24,260 KRW), drawing criticism locally.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 13th (local time), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officially announced that 939 inmates, including 110 support personnel, have been deployed to assist firefighting authorities in combating the wildfire.

The deployment for fire suppression is in accordance with California laws and practices, and inmates who work one day have their sentences reduced by two days. For support personnel who do not engage in direct firefighting, the department reduces their sentences by one day per day of work.

The inmates are responsible for creating firebreaks and removing flammable materials. Although they do not use firefighting equipment, they are paid a daily wage below the minimum wage, which has led to criticism locally.

Yonhap News

According to a 2022 inmate labor report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the University of Chicago Law School, about 1.2 million inmates are incarcerated in federal or state prisons in the United States, and they have no right to refuse work assigned by correctional authorities or to choose what work to do. It is estimated that more than 65% of them, approximately 791,500 inmates, engage in labor.

Of these, 80% perform tasks necessary for prison operations such as food service, dishwashing, cleaning, and laundry, while 20% work in other public or private sector jobs.

In some states, inmates are not paid for their labor and are made to work for free. Following the end of the American Civil War, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits slavery and "involuntary servitude," but allows an exception as punishment for a crime for which the party has been duly convicted.

Meanwhile, as wildfire response faces difficulties, foreign countries are also sending firefighters. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) the day before that 60 firefighters have been sent to the LA area. Canada has sent firefighting aircraft and is preparing to dispatch additional firefighters from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and other regions.

The Mexican government also dispatched firefighters on the 11th, and Ukraine is preparing to send firefighters to California. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated, "The situation there is extremely difficult, and the people of Ukraine can help save the lives of the American people," adding, "(We are) currently coordinating (the personnel support plan)."