The goal of the camp system is to rehabilitate prisoners with job skills, and the California Department of Forestry hires some inmates after their release. Peck said he's seen some ex-cons rise to the rank of captain for the forestry department.
"The biggest thing that this program does is teach work ethic," he said. "Inmates used to have some skills. Nowadays, we're getting a lot of inmates who have no skills at all. They've never done a ? thing in their lives."
Inmates also receive the highest sentence credits in the correctional system when serving at camps: They get two days off their sentence for every one day served. Plus, the minimum security camps have a much less stronger gang presence than the state prison system.
