The American history books of tomorrow will be home to more than a few devastating entries. The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles — which, at the time of writing, have claimed 24 lives and have collectively stretched around 60 square miles — is one of them. Another would be the legislation of prison labor that has effectively allowed America to get away with modern-day slavery.
These two entries would likely show up in the same chapter. As previously reported, 30 percent (or roughly 900) of the firefighters being deployed against the LA fires are inmates, who earn “between $5.80 and $10.24 a day and an additional $1 per hour when responding to active emergencies.” Kim Kardashian wants that to change.
Per US Magazine, this past Saturday saw Kardashian take to her Instagram Story to commend the “heroes” who have been putting their lives on the line to combat one of the worst wildfires in the history of the United States, giving a particular nod to those that are incarcerated, and calling on California governor Gavin Newsom to raise their pay.
The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1/hour to risk their lives and this pay has been the same since 1984. It has never been raised with inflation. It’s never been raised when fires got worse and many [firefighters] died. This year there was an agreement to raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to $5/hour, but it got shot down last minute. I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighters pay to a rate that honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes.
Kardashian, primarily known for her presence in the reality television scene, is no stranger to criminal justice matters. She previously played a crucial role in getting the First Step Act passed by Congress in December 2018, which aimed to reform laws around federal prisons and sentencing in hopes of reducing the rate of recidivism. She also funded the 90 Days to Freedom campaign, which sought to prevent nonviolent drug offenders from receiving life sentences.
Every single one of these actions is underlined by a belief that we all share on some level: a belief in our individual capacity to grow, change, and redeem ourselves. If we believe that about ourselves, as well as our friends, family, and colleagues, should we not extend that same grace to incarcerated individuals? Especially incarcerated individuals who are risking their lives to quell one of the most horrifying disasters to ever occur on American soil?
And indeed, Kardashian gave one more shoutout to the firefighters of the Ventura Training Center, which consists of formerly incarcerated firefighters who have re-entered society and are making up their sentences by protecting their communities.
Due to bills passed by @antirecidivismcoalition, these guys can now get their sentences reduced, expunging the felonies from their records for their fire service. And when they come home can get six figure jobs working for the fire departments.
Newsom would be wise to heed Kardashian’s advice and raise the pay of these individuals, if not to show up on the right side of those aforementioned history books, then to add to the sheer humanity that has impossibly bloomed out of this otherwise ghastly affair.
Published: Jan 13, 2025 10:33 am