Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 247 into law, boosting wages for California’s incarcerated firefighters from $1 per hour to $7.25 per hour while assigned to active wildfire incidents. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and co-sponsored by Initiate Justice Action and Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), is part of the Firefighting to Freedom bill package, which aims to honor and support California’s incarcerated firefighters through legislative action.

In a closed-door decision, the California Senate Appropriations Committee quietly killed AB 1380, a bipartisan bill that would have created career pathways for incarcerated firefighters who risk their lives battling California’s wildfires.

 As California confronts yet another dangerous wildfire season, state lawmakers announced the Firefighting to Freedom legislative package – a bold effort to honor the courage and service of incarcerated firefighters and remove the barriers they face when returning home.

In another step forward for incarcerated firefighters, the California Senate Public Safety Committee passed AB 1380, the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary.

Dr. Gary K. Michelson, founder and co-chair of Michelson Philanthropies and the Michelson Center for Public Policy, has joined a growing coalition working to provide a career pathway and a fresh start for incarcerated firefighters.