S.F. Gate on September 11 carried a photo of California’s Governor Gavin Newsom sitting at a rough-grained public picnic table and signing into law Assembly Bill 2147 crafted by Eloise Reyes, Democratic Assemblywoman from San Bernardo County. Using his left hand to accomplish the task, the bill will enable inmates in state prisons who have received the necessary training to be hired as regular firefighters once they are released.
If they are so enabled, there also is the possibility for these prisoners to petition the court to withdraw their pleas of guilty. If the plea is granted, it would enable the former prisoners to apply for 200 state licenses. I would assume such licenses would involve the building trades.
There are other factors involved involved with objections by district attorneys on who these inmates were. But criminal reform advocates hailed the passage and the signing.
I have seen pictures of orange-clad inmates at the back of fire-fighting equipment and felt a surge of gratitude at their willingness to undertake such messy, hazardous work to save trees, acerege, buildings, homes and forests, state and national.
It seems to me to be a humane as well as logical payback, a precious second chance to be a contributing citizen and the privilege to live a normal life..
mywesterneye/woollywesterneye 
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