Nevada bill would clear hiring path for formerly incarcerated wildland firefighters

CARSON CITY — A bill to make it easier for people who served as wildland firefighters while incarcerated to be hired by the Nevada Division of Forestry was heard Tuesday by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Assemblyman Jovan Jackson, the bill sponsor, told the committee the amendment under consideration “will remove sections 1, 2, 3, and 6 from the original bill and keep section 4 and 5 with section 4 updated for clarity.” He said the retained language “allow[s] formally incarcerated wildlife firefighters to apply for jobs with Nevada Division of Forestry” after they are released and that the measure aims to address NDF staffing shortages and reduce recidivism.

The proposal targets people who actually served as wildlife firefighters while in Nevada custody and would make clear in statute that their training and experience should be considered in hiring decisions. Jackson said the bill also “touches on the EMT certification” and hopes to increase positions that do not require EMT certification so more formerly incarcerated crew members can transition into civilian wildfire work.

Why it matters: Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) and the Department of Corrections (DOC) have a history of using inmate crews for fuels work and wildland firefighting. Committee members and witnesses said those crews provide real job skills but that barriers remain when people try to transition to civilian firefighter jobs, especially at municipal levels where EMT or medical certifications and other hiring rules can block applicants with felony records.

Supporters told the committee the bill would remove ambiguity and subjective barriers in hiring. Sean Griffin, cofounder of the Nevada Prison Education Project, said, “What this bill does is allow people who have training and expertise to go get work.” Nick Shepach, Nevada state director for the Fines and Fees Justice Center, testified the bill’s purpose is to ensure people trained by DOC and NDF can access required certifications and employment pathways after release.

NDF and DOC witnesses described current practices and limits. Casey Casey, state forester and fire warden for NDF, said the division “does not have EMTs any longer” and that NDF issues the same NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group) wildland certifications to inmate firefighters as to paid employees, which helps some individuals be hired by federal or state employers. Don Southworth, chief of offender management for DOC, said DOC currently has “a little bit over 200 offenders assigned to NDF,” down from more than 800 historically, and noted that only minimum-custody offenders are placed on those crews.

Committee members pressed on practical barriers. Several asked whether local governments’ EMT requirements and collective bargaining agreements could still prevent hires. Ryan Beeman, representing professional firefighters in Nevada, said municipal hiring often turns on EMS certification and that statute and health-district rules can bar people with felony convictions from obtaining certain medical certifications. Committee members and witnesses discussed potential amendments, including creating workforce pipelines or incentive programs and clarifying whether a noncompetitive hiring provision in the draft should be narrowed or removed.

Public testimony was strongly supportive. City officials, nonprofit advocates and people who work in prison education described the work as effective at reducing recidivism and urged the committee to pursue statutory changes that would create clearer hiring pathways and reduce subjective barriers.

No vote was taken at the hearing. Sponsors and stakeholders said they expect to work on amendments to address concerns about noncompetitive hiring and local certification barriers before any final action.

The committee closed the hearing on AB321 and proceeded to hear a separate bill on tribal protection orders.