Youth Offender Camp Pilot Program

The two-year YOP Camp Pilot Program expands access to camp programs and provides participants with access to rehabilitative programs and job skills. The goal is to encourage offenders 25 years old and younger to commit to positive change and self-improvement with the goal of being law-abiding members of society upon release.

A crucial part of the YOP camp pilot is the participation of incarcerated peer mentors, who provide guidance to the younger participants.

In addition to educational and rehabilitative programming, camp participants receive wildland firefighting training, which enhances their opportunities for future firefighting careers. The program will also provide additional hand crew members for emergency response to fires, floods, and other disasters in the state.

The program affords incarcerated participants the opportunity to be housed at a lower security level than their classification score to increase access to programs during critical development stages in their lives. Additionally, the program incentivizes incarcerated people to participate in the Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, which provides a vital public safety service to the state of California.

The YOP pilot program started on Aug. 7, 2023. It expires in two years unless the program is made permanent through the Administrative Procedure Act.

Pilot participants have been placed at Growlersburg Conservation Camp #33 in Georgetown and Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp #12 in Pine Grove. The camps are jointly operated by CDCR and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Their primary mission of the camps is to support local, state, and federal agencies as they respond to emergencies such as fires and floods. Incarcerated hand crews also complete community service and conservation projects year-round.

The initial 17 YOP camp participants arrived at Growlersburg in November 2023 after completing training at the Sierra Conservation Center.

Pine Grove welcomed its first seven YOP camp participants in August 2024.

YOP candidates must be between 18-25 years old and possess either a High School Diploma, General Equivalency Degree, or have enough time left to serve to obtain a degree at camp.

This camp will allow participants who are currently ineligible for the conservation camp program, due to a Level-III classification score or a Violent Administrative Determinant the opportunity to participate on a case-by-case basis if no other exclusionary criteria exist.
Trained YOP Peer Mentors must be at least 26 years old. Peer Mentors can be assigned as firefighters or to non-grade positions, such as cooks or maintenance. Volunteers must also meet existing criteria for conservation camp placement, including having eight years or less remaining on their sentence.

Applicants are automatically disqualified who have been convicted of rape, lewd acts with a child under 14, any felony punishable by death or imprisonment for life, any sex offense requiring registration pursuant to PC290, escape from a secure perimeter within the previous 10 years, and arson.

No. To participate in the YOP Camp Pilot Program, a volunteer must also meet all eligibility requirements and pass a standardized physical fitness test.

Growlersburg’s firefighters are trained by CAL FIRE staff at the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown. CAL FIRE’s two-week Firefighter Training (FFT) course consists of one week of classroom instruction and one week of field training.

To graduate from the FFT program, participants are evaluated in full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on a four-mile hike. During the hike, they must maintain proper distance from each other and carry the tool they have been assigned for the day while keeping themselves hydrated.

Depending on skill level, crew members earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, paid by CDCR. While assigned to an active emergency, hand crew members earn an additional $1 per hour paid by CAL FIRE, regardless of skill level.

Yes. A felony conviction does not disqualify employment with CAL FIRE. Many former camp firefighters go on to gain employment with CAL FIRE, the United States Forest Service and Interagency Hotshot Crews.

Those who have successfully participated in the Conservation Camp program as a firefighter are also eligible for opportunities after release, such as expedited record expungement and advanced training at the Ventura Training Center. More information on the Conservation Camp Program can be found here: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/