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County Officials Discuss Inmate Labor Options

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: September 24, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - County jail inmates could serve on work crews for county projects if Pasco officials and the Sheriff's Office can work out the mechanics of a contract.

But it could cost $80,000 to hire a trained detention deputy to supervise a crew, according to one estimate. Operation Payback might be an alternative.

Commissioner Michael Cox, Sheriff Bob White and other leaders recently held a conference to try to work out the details.

Cox suggested inmates be put to work mowing lawns at neglected yards of foreclosed homes, but some snags might hinder that idea. Cox envisions only nonviolent offenders who have earned special trustee status would be eligible for the outside work.

White countered with the idea of using inmate labor on county road upkeep, such as mowing grass in medians now handled by county staff members.

Inmate road crews remain a possibility, Cox said after the conference. The Sheriff's Office has a contract to clean state highways here. The state reimburses the Sheriff's Office.

Cox said, however, a consensus developed around another option, using some Operation Payback labor for cleaning up yards at foreclosed homes.

The program requires county jail inmates to work at least two supervised 8-hour shifts per week, with each completed shift counting the same as a day in jail. An inmate in Operation Payback might remain free while completing sentences over several weekends, for example.

Operation Payback already represents 63,000 hours of labor in park facilities and special events, according to the Sheriff's Office, saving county taxpayers more than $500,000 in labor costs.

Inmate crews than could take over some park maintenance duties now done by Operation Payback participants, Cox theorized.

"Operation Payback is unique in that the court actually orders them to work for the county," the undersheriff, Col. Al Nienhuis, said. He also attended the recent conference.

Perhaps up to a dozen inmates could then work on park detail, county road maintenance and other projects, Nienhuis said.

Inmates are expected to work inside the jail, so some might find it appealing to be able to get outside for some exercise and sun on county crews.

The Sheriff's Office would prefer to hire an additional detention deputy to supervise the inmate crews on the work-release program for county jobs, Nienhuis said. The Sheriff's Office has similar arrangements with the cities of St. Leo and San Antonio to provide police protection in those municipalities.

The estimated cost would be roughly $80,000 per crew for the first year. That doesn't include transportation costs, or overtime if a deputy fills in for the primary deputy on vacation or out sick.

"We're excited about being able to help," Nienhuis commented. "We're solution oriented."

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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