Breathing Fire

April 26, 2021
Journalist Lowe (Mental) tackles climate change, mass incarceration, and the “war on drugs” in this deeply reported if uneven account of California’s inmate firefighting crews. Focusing on incarcerated women who make up this “near invisible workforce,” Lowe recounts how Shawna Lynn Jones died in 2016, less than two months before her scheduled release, while fighting a fire in Malibu. Other profile subjects include Whitney (no last name given), a former supply analyst for Patagonia and ultra-marathoner who served time for gross vehicular manslaughter, and Marquet (no last name given), who tithed the roughly $2 per hour she made fighting fires. Lowe traces the origins of California’s inmate firefighting program to a labor shortage caused by WWII, and contends that the state has saved billions of dollars by paying inmate firefighters paltry wages. She also critiques the criminal justice system at large, documenting prison overcrowding and inadequate health care for inmates, but the book is at its strongest when it leaves aside the statistics and stays focused on the lives of prisoners as they train to fight wildfires, reflect on their crimes, and struggle to find gainful employment after prison. The result is a powerful and affecting portrait of the “inherent flaws” of using prison labor to save California from climate disaster.

June 1, 2021
A detailed and infuriating depiction of America's inhumane practice of deploying inmate firefighters. In this expansion of her work for the New York Times Magazine, journalist Lowe delves into the stories of the incarcerated women fighting California's frequent, deadly wildfires. At great personal risk, these women remain prisoners as they battle flames and endure grueling physical challenges. The author traces the histories of women in different "camps" across the state, illustrating the overrepresentation of women engaged in this extremely dangerous work. Even as they risk their lives fighting fires, they receive a negligible amount of training compared to "free" firefighters. The numbers of incarcerated firefighters are shocking: "Depending on the year, inmate firefighters make up as much as 30 percent of California's wildland fire crews." Lowe chronicles her discussions with a wide range of women. Some believe in the program's ability to prepare inmates for new ways of life, providing access to nature and employable skills. Many others point out the exploitation of their labor, sexual abuse, drug use, and constant danger. The stories share horrifying, dehumanizing parallels with slave labor--especially analogous given the disproportionate number of American prisoners who are Black. However, Lowe does not examine race until halfway through the book, which weakens the critical and rhetorical power of the story as a whole. The eventual list of myriad ways the prison system differentially targets Black Americans would be more effective if this analysis framed the critique rather than being compartmentalized midway through. Nevertheless, Lowe writes compellingly, including appropriately heartbreaking details of these women's lives, what is taken from them, and how they risk their lives for $2.56 per day. This is a story of 21st-century chain gangs in the star-studded hills of Malibu battling the consequences of climate change and of a country lost in the mire of seemingly endless mass incarceration. A disturbing portrayal of America's exploitative prison system and the incarcerated women fighting California's wildfires.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2021
The California penal system allows prisoners to train and form crews in the Conservation Camp program to fight the state's all-too-frequent wildfires. Author Lowe spent more than five years in research and intimate interviews with a group of women who chose this path. Why would someone choose to put themselves in grave danger for $2-$5 an hour, much less than regular fire crews are paid? Many love the outdoors, some want more stimulation than the ordinary jail experience provides, some hope to learn skills that they can draw on when released. The women interviewed have criminal backgrounds that warrant their incarceration, and this more than anything thwarts their attempts to move into more productive spheres once they have served their time. Alisha, Shawna, Carla, and Sonya are a few of the women whose stories are told, and though they train and work, none are successful after their sentences are served. By telling this worthy story the author shows the need for reform that would let these women who risk their lives benefit more from the experience after prison.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2021

In 2016, 22-year-old Shawna Lynn Jones became the first woman inmate firefighter to die in the line of duty. Within months of her death, Lowe (Mental) began interviewing incarcerated people on Jones's firefighting crew and correctional workers. Her book shares the story of the women who do the same work as professional non-incarcerated firefighters but earn a pittance. Lowe details California's long history of using unpaid or low-paid inmate labor and describes the ways the prison system fails these people; upon their release, former inmate firefighters are almost never allowed to transfer their firefighting skills to gainful employment. The narrative is well-paced; readers can visualize what these women endure in training, in the field, and at home. Lowe profiles several of the women and provides their backstories, complete with interviews conducted throughout the pandemic. It might be difficult for readers to keep track of the figures as the book switches in and out of different people's narratives, but it is well worth the effort. VERDICT Readers who want a comprehensive understanding of political agendas and the effects of racism in the U.S. justice system will appreciate this book and will want to share their new knowledge with others. A powerful, well researched work for justice-minded readers.--Elissa Cooper, Helen Plum Memorial Lib., Lombard, IL

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