California is Using Slave Labor to Fight the Wildfires [View all]

[sheshe2]

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As two deadly wildfires ravage California homes, killing at least 31 people and leaving hundreds homeless, the state of California is hoping to contain the fires using one of America’s oldest, most expendable forms of labor. The Associated Press reports that 200 inmates from 16 prison crews are being used to fight the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history.

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Well, there is a list of reasons, all of which reference the literal definition of slavery:

They don’t receive “proper remuneration”: While fighting fires, inmates earn an average of $2 per day and a whopping total of $1 per hour. But relax, the firefighters are also paid with credit. According to ABC10: “Two days of credit for every day of incarceration (or 66.6%) are awarded to nonviolent offenders serving in fire camps

They “work very hard”: They work in 24-hour shift alongside firefighters who are being paid, including overtime. Aside from fighting fires, a California attorney describes the work as “clearing fire breaks, loading sandbags for future uses, restoring historical areas, maintaining parks and clearing dead, dry brush that is a fire hazard.”

The program contributes to mass incarceration: In 2014, a Deputy Attorney General argued that releasing California inmates would “severely impact fire camp participation, a dangerous outcome while California is in the middle of a difficult fire season and severe drought.”

Read More: https://www.theroot.com/california-is-using-slave-labor-to-fight-the-wildfires-1830420400

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Hey, they are volunteers... couldn't possibly be called slavery, Damn It! They earned this right!