Among those fighting the Los Angeles wildfires: Prison inmates

The army of firefighters battling the massive Southern California wildfires includes workers who could otherwise remain safely behind bars.

Nearly 400 prison inmates have been deployed by the California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) to contain the blazes, the department said in a statement to The Guardian. The crews of incarcerated firefighters are embedded with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) to assist its nearly 2,000 firefighters. 

CDCR did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment.