On August 31, 2020, California lawmakers passed a bill that will allow former inmates to train to become firefighters. The bill was authored by Assemblywoman Eliose Gomez Reyes. "If we really want to bring about change and lower our recidivism rates, we have to ensure that those that have served their sentences have an opportunity for meaningful employment," she told Spectrum News 1. Every year, more than 2,000 inmate firefighters battle blazes across California, working for as little as $2-5 a day. The bill awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature.

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