Guest Commentary written by
Andony Corleto
Andony Corleto is a former incarcerated firefighter who now works as a program associate for Vera California, part of the Vera Institute of Justice.
The first fire I remember fighting happened in the dense mountains of Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Giant ponderosa pines crashed down around us with little warning, weakened by fire and shooting off embers like fireflies in smoke.
It was one of the few times in my life when I thought I might die at any moment — which is saying something, because I had already served 13 years in prison…