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It was really only a matter of time. In Camden County, Georgia there's a proposal being floated to turn convicts into firefighters. Welcome to the new America. According to an article on Jacksonville.com, the inmates-to-firefighters program is one of several money-saving options the Board of County Commissioners is looking into.
The idea is to keep county residents' fire insurance costs down.
Some might think a county government might be pretty desperate to propose such a measure but the Board of County Commissioners says the inmate firefighter program could save as much as $500,000.
There are some critics of the plan, including the real firefighters who would be asked to trust convicted criminals to battle fires with them.
There are some extreme situations where inmates have been used as firefighters in the past. California inmates fought fires in the 1940s, when World War II caused a firefighter shortage. But making inmates first responders as a budget solution is something entirely new.
Traditionally, the low-cost labor performed by incarcerated individuals is relegated to the same kinds of work performed by illegal immigrants. In some states that have instituted get-tough state immigration laws, inmates are already performing the tasks frequently associated with undocumented workers or illegal immigrants.
The Camden program would put two inmates in each of three existing firehouses and they would respond to all emergencies with the actual firefighters.
Several media reports have referred to the actual firefighters as "traditional firefighters."
The inmates would not be guarded.
For the best indication in terms of just how bad an idea this is, consider the following. In order to turn inmates into firefighters you first have to turn firefighters into corrections officers.
Under the wacky Camden County plan, the "traditional" firefighters will undergo training to guard the inmates.
County Public Safety Director Dennis Gailey says that one "traditional" firefighter with correctional training can supervise up to three inmates and also help the county make its books look like slightly less of a disaster.
Gailey said there is a lot of contention among local firefighters about working alongside inmates.
One firefighter, Stuart Sullivan, spoke to county commissioners during a recent meeting and pleaded with them not to wreck the department he is so proud to be a part of.
Sullivan asked the commissioners if they would favor inmates coming to their homes for an emergency in the middle of the night.
"If you vote to bring these inmates into our working environment, you jeopardize not only the employees' well-being, but the safety of our citizens," he told the board.
But in our current race to the bottom, particularly in rural areas with low tax bases and fierce opposition to tax increases, reputations, public safety and tradition are secondary concerns at best. Right now the mantra is, "cut spending to the bone and pray it's not a disaster."
County Commissioner Jimmy Starline did his best to sell the program using unnamed sources that say many inmates could turn into hard-working dedicated public safety professionals.
"I've been told these inmates are very enthusiastic about being a firefighter. It's an opportunity to break that cycle," he said. "This is not like a chain gang. Life at a fire station could be a whole lot more pleasant than life in jail."
In Starline's view, apparently turning cons into smoke eaters not only saves the county money, but also makes like more pleasant for criminals.
Sometimes you just have to marvel at the political mind. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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The first omission is the classification process that goes into the selection of inmate participants. Universally, violent criminals and sex offenders are prohibited. Any inmates with a history of disciplinary issues in the prison/jail are also ineligible. These classification systems are sophisticated and effective although admittedly not foolproof.
Nichols attempts to paint this as an outdated plan by pointing to inmate firefighters in the 40s. An inaccurate presentation because California, Kentucky, and other states, to my personal knowledge, still call upon inmate workers for fighting fires.
Inmate labor can be a great cost saver to many rural and urban communities. While I agree that much of the labor can be the more menial work of highway clean up and recycling, I draw attention to the construction and installation of playground equipment, the painting of municpal buildings, and the hanging of holiday lights in the business district. Drive to Beattyville, KY and take a look and the core structure of the historical committee museum, built entirely with inmate labor.
I agree that there are men and women in our prisons who never need to go beyond the fences and razor wire but there are others who can, with proper selection and training, be an important resources in the local economy. I have worked on the security side of corrections for 40 years and understand the concerns but can still see the potential for success.