California Approves Minimum Wage for Incarcerated Firefighters

California will begin paying incarcerated firefighters the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during active emergencies starting January 1, 2026. 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. However, 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 (D55 - Culver City). Bryan said, “It’s the right thing to do and it’s long overdue. “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 added, “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. 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. 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.

Drop LWOP Coalition member California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) has expressed strong support for the policy change. Katie Dixon, CCWP 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. Deep down inside, I’m supposed to be a battalion chief.”