California’s new corrections secretary says he plans to use more county jail prisoners instead of state prisoners for the firefighters program, The Associated Press reported.
“As we expand to the county level, I think it’s going to be able to keep our fire camp population at a right, reasonable level,” said Scott Kernan, who recently took over as secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Kernan said he has made agreements with 12 county sheriffs and four more are pending to send county inmates to the state’s fire camp program.
About 40 percent of the approximately 3,700 inmate firefighters committed manslaughter, assaults, batteries, or robberies. However, inmates are reviewed for any risk of danger that they may pose before they are sent to the firefighter program.
County jail inmates may have active drug or mental health problems, cautioned Berkeley Professor Frank Zimring, who studied California prisons for over 30 years.
Kernan could have extended the program to include first-time offenders with certain violent convictions who have “remained disciplinary-free, continued positive programming, and clear of mental health issues,” inmate Alvin Timbol said in an interview.
Inmate Somveng Thongsy commented that it is rehabilitation, job skills, and responsibility that will help give him a better transition back into society.
Both Timbol and Thongsy concluded that Kernan’s decision diminished opportunities for people like themselves who are working toward their rehabilitation.
–David B. Le