John Legend took the time to visit incarcerated firefighters battling the wildfires burning in Los Angeles County.
Last week, the Grammy-winning singer sat down with a group of men from Camp 44, stationed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Legend shared video of the visit on his Instagram page and included a plea for California’s inmate firefighters to receive higher pay.
“Yesterday, I spent time with some of the nearly 1,000 incarcerated firefighters who have been battling LA’s wildfires. After a 24-hour shift, they described their intense work on the line,” he posted on Jan. 18.
“This is our moment to give them our thanks and support both now and as they work toward building their futures. We need to advocate for higher wages for incarcerated workers,” he continued. “These brave firefighters currently earn between $5.00 and $10.00 a day. We also need to push for record expungement to open pathways to firefighting careers and beyond.”
Related: Jennifer Hudson Highlights Altadena Resilience Amid LA Fires
At one point in the video, Legend broke into song and belted out his hit single “Ordinary People.”
The singer’s followers filled the post with comments, although reaction was mixed.
“What an outstanding program…. so happy you’re bringing attention to these ‘hidden heroes,'” one person wrote.
“Amazing!! Blessings to them all,” someone else commented.
“Thank you for sharing this! As a Los Angeles native and someone who has family and friends impacted by these fires, I’m grateful for all who have put their lives on the line to help others,” another person wrote.
But others criticized Legend for using his platform to advocate for those who have been jailed for crimes.
“I completely disagree with you on paying someone who has committed a crime and is in prison. They get everything free from food to insurance to housing. I WORK FOR ALL OF THAT,” one person wrote.
“Don’t go to prison then. Simple as that!” someone else added.
“They are in prison. They get 2 days taken off their sentences for every day they work. They choose to be in this program. They should not be getting paid at all. We already pay for their food & housing,” another person wrote.
Social media reaction aside, the inmates were apparently fired up by Legend’s visit — pun intended. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) posted pictures of the singer and the inmates on its website, and said fire crew members even sang along with the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner.
The CDCR website says “most incarcerated fire crew members receive 2-for-1 credits, meaning they receive two additional days off their sentence for every one day they serve on a fire crew.”
After participating in the program, crew members are eligible for jobs with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), although employment is not guaranteed.
California is one of at least 14 states that operate “fire camps” for incarcerated people to learn how to fight fires, NPR reports.
For more pictures and videos of John Legend visiting CDCR firefighters, click here.
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