Prisoners could be trained to fight blazes in one of the Australian regions worst hit by wildfires, authorities say.
New South Wales “is exploring options to establish inmate firefighting teams at a number of minimum-security correctional centres,” a local prison service spokesperson told The Independent.
They said inmates will have to meet conditions relating to offence history, security classification and release date to take part.
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NGO Penal Reform International said it encourages rehabilitation programmes that help people “move away from offending behaviours” and “make a meaningful contribution to the local community”.
“Training people serving prison sentences to fight bushfires certainly fits this profile,” said Jane Rice, who leads the NGO’s work on prisons and natural disasters. However, she said, this work must be “entirely voluntary” and “sufficiently compensated”.
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures
Show all 40
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures
1/40
A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales
AFP via Getty
2/40
Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria
EPA
3/40
Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January
Getty
4/40
Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
5/40
A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria
EPA
6/40
A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia
AP
7/40
Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December
AP
8/40
The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January
Getty
9/40
A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
10/40
An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale
State Government of Victoria/EPA
11/40
Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019
Getty
12/40
A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney
Getty
13/40
Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
14/40
A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires
European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS
15/40
The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
16/40
Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
17/40
The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria
Jonty Smith via Reuters
18/40
The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo
AFP/Getty
19/40
Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales
NSW Rural Fire Service/AP
20/40
Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
Glen Morey via AP
21/40
Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo
EPA
22/40
A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP
23/40
Nowra
AFP via Getty
24/40
Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland
Getty
25/40
"Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
Reuters
26/40
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
27/40
Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
28/40
Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
29/40
LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters
30/40
Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
31/40
A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney
AFP via Getty
32/40
A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region
State Government of Victoria/AFP
33/40
Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin
Getty
34/40
Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
35/40
A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
AFP via Getty
36/40
Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo
Getty
37/40
Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria
EPA
38/40
Nowra
AFP via Getty
39/40
Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield
EPA
40/40
The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires
AFP via Getty
1/40
A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales
AFP via Getty
2/40
Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria
EPA
3/40
Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January
Getty
4/40
Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
5/40
A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria
EPA
6/40
A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia
AP
7/40
Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December
AP
8/40
The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January
Getty
9/40
A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
10/40
An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale
State Government of Victoria/EPA
11/40
Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019
Getty
12/40
A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney
Getty
13/40
Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
14/40
A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires
European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS
15/40
The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
16/40
Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
17/40
The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria
Jonty Smith via Reuters
18/40
The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo
AFP/Getty
19/40
Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales
NSW Rural Fire Service/AP
20/40
Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
Glen Morey via AP
21/40
Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo
EPA
22/40
A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP
23/40
Nowra
AFP via Getty
24/40
Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland
Getty
25/40
"Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
Reuters
26/40
Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
27/40
Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
28/40
Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
29/40
LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters
30/40
Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
31/40
A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney
AFP via Getty
32/40
A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region
State Government of Victoria/AFP
33/40
Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin
Getty
34/40
Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
35/40
A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
AFP via Getty
36/40
Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo
Getty
37/40
Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria
EPA
38/40
Nowra
AFP via Getty
39/40
Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield
EPA
40/40
The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires
AFP via Getty
Prisoners have been taking part in other community projects, such as helping to rebuild a dingo shelter destroyed in the region’s fires, according to the New South Wales Department of Justice.
“We just don’t have the resources so it’s been fantastic to have extra hands to help with the clean-up,” the sanctuary founder Luci Ellem said. “The correctional staff and inmates have worked really hard and I can’t thank them enough.”
A Corrective Services NSW spokesperson said prisoners are expected to help with other rebuilding projects across the year.
Regional prison authorities are also working towards organising crews of inmates “to go into areas ravaged by bushfire and undertake critical clean-up and maintenance work”.
Californian prison authorities said inmates received the same amount of training as seasonal firefighters and could learn useful skills through the scheme.
Ms Rice from Penal Reform International said in California, inmates trained as firefighters “are not eligible to get regular jobs with fire departments because of their criminal record” on leaving prison.
“Persons trained in these skills [in rehabilitation programmes] ought to be able to use these in jobs after they are released from prison,” she said.
Firefighters – many of whom are volunteers – have been working since September to tackle Australia’s blazes, which have killed 27 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
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