The army of firefighters battling the massive Southern California wildfires includes workers who could otherwise remain safely behind bars.As of Friday, 939 prison inmates have been deployed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to help contain the blazes,

State prisoners have long been a part of California's firefighting force. Hundreds of them now are deployed in Los Angeles County.

Critics say using incarcerated men and women to fight fires is cheap labour, but supporters say it is rehabilitative.

Hundreds of Californian prisoners have been deployed to help tackle the fires devastating the Los Angeles area. With wildfires raging, causing at least 10 deaths, burning down thousands of buildings and prompting evacuation orders for nearly 180,

Nearly 800 people in prison have been temporarily freed to assist firefighters in controlling the deadly Southern California wildfires.

Hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, who are trained to respond to emergencies and disasters, were reportedly deployed in Los Angeles.

Hundreds of incarcerated people are among the first responders battling the devastating flames, the Washington Post reports. Almost 400 inmates have been deployed to respond to fires in and surrounding Los Angeles County, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

The inmates volunteering are paid a daily wage between $5.80 and $10.24, plus an additional $1 per hour when they respond to active fire or fire-related emergencies, the CDCR said

As much as 30% of the firefighters force in California may be prison inmates, according to reports. How did we get here? And what's the best path forward?

Nearly 800 prison inmates have been temporarily freed to assist firefighters in controlling the deadly Southern California wildfires that have burned with no end in sight since Tuesday. Those inmates are part of a minimum-security Conservation Camp Program consisting of 35 “fire camps” spread throughout California.