CIJ Insights vol.2- Shining a Light on Prison Labour: Lessons from the LA Wildfires
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have been a natural disaster of immense scale.
Fire fighters battling bright orange blaze
With FireAid taking place on January 30 it is clear that people feel a great compassion for those who have lost their homes, but there is another issue which people should be aware of. While conversations surfaced briefly, we cannot let the concern around the ethics of prison labour be forgotten.
As flames raged through the Palisades and Eaton, approximately 1,100 incarcerated individuals fought alongside professional fire crews, risking their lives for minimal pay. These inmate firefighters, crucial to battling blazes, earned between $5.40 and $10.24 USD a day, with an additional $1 USD an hour during emergencies—starkly lower than their civilian counterparts, some of whom made up to and over $1,000 USD a day.
This disparity has been eye opening to many worldwide and invites us to examine similar practices closer to home in Australia. Here, incarcerated workers are paid between $30 and $70 AUD a week, rates that many former inmates liken to modern-day slave labour. Despite being provided with basic needs like meals and housing, many civilians are unaware of the costs encountered while incarcerated, often leaving inmates financially strained instead of providing the opportunity to financially prepare for their future after release.
Prison work programmes are often heralded as pathways to skill development and employment post-release. However, the reality is that many former inmates continue to encounter significant employment barriers, both in the US and Australia. This creates a paradox where individuals are employed in critical roles under hazardous conditions but remain largely unrecognised and unprepared for reintegration into society. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to improve access to sustainable opportunities and fair treatment for those re-entering our communities.
The discourse surrounding LA’s use of prison labour underscores a pressing need for reform in Australia. Fair compensation and improved working conditions must be prioritised to ensure that incarcerated individuals receive not only skills training but also tangible economic benefits that facilitate their transition back into the community. Proper financial remuneration could help them to secure housing and necessities upon release, easing their reintegration and reducing recidivism.
By seizing this moment, we can advocate for a more just system—one that respects the dignity of all workers and genuinely prepares them for life beyond bars. The dialogue ignited by the LA wildfires serves as a powerful catalyst for change, urging us to reflect on our practices and commit to meaningful reform.
CIJ Insights vol.2
Written by Elle Thielke
Published 21 February 2025; first published in the Centre for Innovative Justice Newsletter 04 February 2025