Prisons in the Wildlands: A Critical Look into the Historical Development and Implications of California Conservation Camps

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Date

2020-02-27

Authors

Polick-Kirkpatrick, Kaelyn

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Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

The State of California has long relied on the labor of its incarcerated population to conduct public works projects. This thesis uses a qualitative methodological approach to interrogate one particular program that exemplifies the state’s lasting interest in carceral labor. Emerging in 1946, the California Conservation Camp Program oversees over 2,000 inmates currently serving as wildland firefighters who are paid just $1-$2 per day for their work under extremely dangerous conditions. This thesis traces the evolution of the program over time, paying close attention to the discourse produced by state agencies in formal reports that indicate the cost-saving priorities that serve to undermine the value of inmate lives and labor. Further, given the nature of climate change and the ongoing proliferation of wildfire in the Western United States, this project looks to the Environmental Justice field to provide an analysis and critique of the Conservation Camp program over time.

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Keywords

California Conservation Camps, Conservation, Ecosocialism, Environmental Justice, Prison Studies, Wildland Firefighting

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