Kim Kardashian has once again leapfrogged into the fray to champion the plight of the incarcerated and those she deems as victims of the U.S. government's unjust treatment. This weekend, she took to Instagram Stories to advocate for imprisoned firefighters, vividly illustrating how they bravery face life-threatening dangers to save the Los Angeles community for a mere $1 an hour.
Since 2018, the 44-year-old reality TV star and business tycoon has been actively involved in prison law reform. It all began when she stumbled upon an online video about Alice Johnson, a grandmother serving a life sentence for her involvement in a Memphis cocaine ring. This fortuitous encounter led Kardashian to meet with then-President Donald Trump, seeking clemency for Johnson and urging him to back the First Step Act, which ushered in significant reforms in the prison system.
As Los Angeles suffered through its fifth consecutive day of devastating fires on Sunday, Kardashian posted an Instagram story highlighting the incarcerated firefighters who were part of the teams battling the infernos. She noted that some of these brave souls had lost their lives while performing acts of heroism for the L.A. community.
"Over the past week, I've witnessed my city burning, and I've seen and spoken to countless firefighters who toiled tirelessly throughout the night, expending every ounce of their strength to save our community," Kardashian penned, expressing her gratitude to CalFire and those working tirelessly to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires. She emphasized that "hundreds of incarcerated firefighters risk their lives for peanuts, some even sacrificing their own to prove to society that they've changed and are now first responders. I view them as heroes."
The seasoned reality TV personality then claimed that these incarcerated firefighters have been receiving $1 per hour since 1984, adding that their pay "has never budged with inflation, nor increased despite the escalation of fires and numerous fatalities. A recent deal to hike it to $5 an hour was reportedly sabotaged at the eleventh hour."
Kardashian subsequently urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to elevate their pay to a level that "honors the bravery of these human beings who risk their lives to save ours and our homes."
While Kardashian might be on the mark about the undercompensation of these firefighters, she might still need to fact-check her assertions. According to the Department of Corrections website, incarcerated firefighters can earn a bonus dollar per hour during active emergencies.
"Depending on their skill level, conservation camp incarcerated fire crew members earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, paid by CDCR," the DOC states in its FAQ section. "During active emergencies, incarcerated fire crew members earn an additional $1 per hour paid by CAL FIRE, regardless of skill level. During emergencies, crews can work a 24-hour shift, followed by 24 hours of rest."
While Kardashian is indeed correct in pointing out the abysmally low pay for these courageous firefighters — with the minimum wage translating to less than $1 an hour for an eight-hour workday — she might have gotten confused about the bonus pay. However, this oversight might soon become irrelevant if Kardashian, who aced the baby bar exam in 2021, once again wields her influence in the name of criminal justice reform.
