James Jones, 26, of Barstow, center, Tim Johnson, 49, far right, and other members of the Glen Helen 1 fire crew get ready for a hike near their fire camp at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center in September. Johnson has since been released. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
William Winegardner, 34, of Hesperia, served on the Glen Helen 1 fire crew until his release from jail last month. He immediately applied for a job on the San Bernardino County fire crew and is waiting for an answer. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Glen Helen 1 fire crew hikes through Holling Hills in San Bernardino. The crew was the first to be established in the San Bernardino County jail system. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Fire crew foreman Travis VanHulten, left, leads the inmates back to their camp after a hike in Holling Hills. About 4,000 inmates serve on fire crews statewide, saving California about $80 million in firefighting costs annually. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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William Winegardner, with mustache, served on the Glen Helen 1 inmate fire crew with Tim Johnson and James Jones, right. Winegardner and Johnson have since been released, and Jones is due out Dec. 3. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Inmate fire crew member William Winegardner, 34, left, of Hesperia, raises the U.S. flag at training camp. For Winegardner, who was released from jail last month, his time on the fire crew provided a transition to what he hopes will be a new life. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
