California backtracks plans allowing inmates with violent offenses to fight fires

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Podcasts Take Two

Oct 14, 2015

Listen • 5:57

California backtracks plans allowing inmates with violent offenses to fight fires

For years, inmates have been on the front lines of wildfires, but they were minimum-security prisoners with no history of violent crimes.

A Cal Fire firefighter leads a group of inmate firefighters during a burn operation to head off the Rocky Fire on August 2, 2015 near Clearlake, California.

For years, inmates have been on the front lines of wildfires, but they were minimum-security prisoners with no history of violent crimes.

UPDATE 3:42 PM: Department of Corrections officials say 40 percent of the state’s inmate firefighting crew have previous convictions for violent offenses and inmates convicted of violent offenses have been serving since the 1990s, Associated Press reports.

Take Two's Alex Cohen spoke with Don Thompson from the Associated Press before the Department of Corrections update.

Before, they were considering a plan to allow inmates who had committed violent crimes to participate in fighting fires, but then decided to drop those plans.

To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.