They fought California's wildfires from prison — now it's a career path

Roughly half of California's emergency wildfire-fighting hours are done by incarcerated crews — people who risk their lives on the fire lines but historically walked free with little more than a thank-you. A new law, AB 2483, changes that: it standardizes firefighter credentials earned behind bars and gives priority hiring at Cal Fire on release. The push came from Royal Ramey, a formerly incarcerated firefighter who built the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program — turning time served into a pathway toward six-figure careers and pensions.