California will begin paying incarcerated firefighters the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during active emergencies starting January 1, 2026, according to CalMatters.
The change is included in the latest state budget, signed last week by Governor Gavin Newsom, which allocates $10 million for the increase.
This follows years of pressure from labor advocates and intensified scrutiny after hundreds of incarcerated workers were deployed to wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Current compensation ranges from $5.80 to $10.24 per day, plus $1 per hour during active emergencies, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The increase will only take effect if the state Legislature passes a bill to codify the policy in law.
The bill mandating the wage increase was introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat from Culver City.
Bryan said: “It’s the right thing to do and it’s long overdue.”
He added: “It feels really beautiful and life changing for folks who have sacrificed to save others during their time being held accountable for whatever harms they may have caused in their past.”
Bryan initially proposed raising the rate to $19 per hour but accepted the federal minimum wage following budget negotiations.
The bill has bipartisan backing from almost two dozen lawmakers, although it faces opposition from the California State Sheriffs’ Association due to concerns about costs to counties.
Bryan said: “To have a bipartisan moment where we’re dignifying incarcerated labor with a federal minimum wage – I think that is the best of who we are.”
He added: “My colleagues on both sides of the aisle, on this particular effort, are demonstrating what it really means to be Californian.”
Incarcerated people have supported emergency responses in California for decades through participation in fire camps.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, over 1,800 individuals currently live and work at fire camps across 25 counties.
These minimum-security facilities are used to house trained workers who assist with wildfire containment and other emergencies.
Numbers have declined in recent years due to a shrinking prison population, the department reported.
In addition to fires, these crews are often called upon to respond to floods and other natural disasters.
The camps operate year-round and are integrated into broader state and federal emergency response efforts.
The California Coalition for Women Prisoners has expressed strong support for the policy change.
Katie Dixon, the organization’s policy and campaign coordinator, said: “I feel like this is a statement of value – in saying: we value you, we honor you, we see you.”
Dixon previously served on a firefighting hand crew while incarcerated but was unable to pursue a career due to her criminal record.
She said: “It felt like a dream deferred. A dream that’s been cut off due to systemic policies designed to keep people like me — Black people — out of certain professions.”
She added: “Deep down inside, I’m supposed to be a battalion chief.”
The organization has long advocated for policies that support rehabilitation and reentry into the workforce.
Members of the U.S. Congress have introduced federal legislation that would create a clearer path for incarcerated firefighters to enter the workforce after release.
According to CalMatters, U.S. Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Judy Chu, both of California, are co-sponsoring a bill to introduce national protections and record-clearing mechanisms.
Kamlager-Dove said: “As we are seeing departments contract, as we are seeing that it is harder to recruit and retain firefighters, why would you miss an opportunity like this to connect a pipeline that is trained right into municipalities that need more firefighters?”
She added: “At the end of the day, it’s jobs and economic stability that help all of us.”
The legislation is intended to help former incarcerated workers transition into professional firefighting careers without facing systemic barriers related to their criminal records.
This follows the rejection of a state-level ballot measure in 2024 that would have ended forced labor in California prisons and jails.
California will raise pay for incarcerated firefighters to $7.25 per hour during active emergencies.
The policy is part of the state budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Implementation depends on passage of a supporting bill in the state Legislature.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan introduced the bill with bipartisan support.
Incarcerated workers currently earn up to $10.24 per day plus $1 per hour during emergencies.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports over 1,800 individuals in fire camps.
The California State Sheriffs’ Association opposes the bill due to cost concerns.
Advocacy groups such as the California Coalition for Women Prisoners support the wage increase.
Katie Dixon of the group spoke about her own experience on a firefighting crew while incarcerated.
Federal lawmakers have also proposed legislation to ease record-clearing for former incarcerated firefighters.
U.S. Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Judy Chu are co-sponsors of the federal bill.
