When the fires engulfed Los Angeles and the Pacific Palisades this month, more than 1,000 incarcerated individuals volunteered to battle the fires.

Up tp 30 percent of California's active firefighting workforce can be incarcerated people, making them a considerable factor in the state’s firefighting strategies, according to Alexandra Nur, a criminal justice professor in the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. 

Nur studies rehabilitation and re-entry programs within the corrections system. Re-entry programs aim to reduce the rate of individuals returning to prison and give people a chance to start anew, Nur said. 

The incarcerated individuals currently active on the frontlines of fires participated in rehabilitation programs within the corrections system. These programs within state prison systems also offer vocational training such as mechanics or air conditioner and heating certification, educational attainment, and substance abuse help. 

“When they are released to battle fires, incarcerated people report it gives confidence and skills to acquire employment after release, which we know is such an important part of the re-entry process. It’s so difficult to find employment as a previously incarcerated person,” Nur said.  “A lot of incarcerated people have pride in that they are doing this and can be a part of a solution.”

We asked Nur to shed light on what the rehabilitation programs like fire camps offer and what misconceptions surround re-entry programs.

News headlines suggested people were surprised to learn that incarcerated individuals would step up to help out. Yet these programs have existed for decades. Nevada’s fire camp program started in 1958. Why do you think people were shocked?

I think there is a perception that incarcerated people can not do the same types of things or would not want to do the same type of things that we do as people who are free in the community. When we think of incarcerated people, our mind jumps to the scariest person we can think of and jumps to a person who wants to commit a crime that is thrilling or fun for them. 

People don’t think that incarcerated people have the ability to do something that’s altruistic or for the community's good. In our minds, they have done something wrong against an individual or community and that is what has landed them in these facilities. 

But if you talk to incarcerated people — which I have — many say they don’t want to be involved in crime in the long run. They want to be a part of society and accepted back into society. 

When you think of a firefighter, what do you think? It’s almost the opposite of our picture of an incarcerated person. Firefighters are altruistic, brave, smart, and have all of these positive qualities because you have to be that type of person to volunteer your life for others. 

So, for most people, it’s really hard to mesh these images of a “bad person” and a “good person.” But just because we were somebody in the past doesn’t mean we have to be that same person in the future. For me, that’s what these programs are trying to attain.

What about safety concerns? The incarcerated firefighters interact with the public as they fight fires. 

Incarcerated firefighters are typically in minimum security and were imprisoned for non-violent offenses. 

The important thing to remember is that, regardless of their crimes, more than 90 percent of all incarcerated people will return to the community at some point. With more than 1.9 million people in the prison system, the U.S. has the highest rate of incarcerated individuals in the world. 

I am not pretending that there are not people who might be dangerous or might reoffend; however, most of the people who I have talked to in lots of facilities — men and women in jails and prisons — all say, “I am ready to go back and try my very best to get a job, to get sober, to be a part of my family again or to create connections with people in the community.”

The main barrier is they are scared about being judged and therefore won’t be able to reintegrate into society. That’s where rehabilitation and re-entry programs come in.

Why are rehabilitation and re-entry programs important in prisons?

Would you rather an incarcerated person sit in prison 20 years angry and bitter, doing nothing? Or would you rather, an incarcerated person in prison attain a GED and vocational training, participate in anger management courses or social skill courses, and learn to solve problems without violence and criminal activities? It’s always better to send them out with a toolkit and training to be productive contributors. 

Can incarcerated firefighters get hired to be an official firefighter after their release from prison? 

Unfortunately in many states you can not apply to be a firefighter if you have been previously incarcerated. In my opinion, something that is unethical is that we accept incarcerated individuals to work as firefighters for $5 to $10 a day but that we don’t want that same person out in the community being a firefighter after release.

We can learn from the success we’ve seen with incarcerated firefighters. They are helping with a current crisis and gaining vocational skills and certifications, which will hopefully help them get some sort of job after they have served their sentences. Having the certifications will encourage employers to consider giving formerly incarcerated individuals a chance at employment.

What additional steps can be taken to improve re-entry programs?

I especially would love to see more vocational programs for women, many of whom struggle with economic independence upon release. Until maybe 15 to 20 years ago, vocational programs had been restricted to what historically were female-dominated jobs — so things like tailoring, housekeeping, and other low-paying domestic tasks. Across the United States, Nevada included, improving the vocational offering to our incarcerated women needs a targeted approach.