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Program might run again but it will cost

Governments would be charged up to $150 a day for inmate labor, lawmaker says

By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: September 16, 2009

Although it is no longer operating, the state Department of Correction's Community Works Program could be restarted but it would cost local governments and other agencies that use inmate labor.
N.C. Rep. Mitch Gillespie, R-McDowell, said he's been hearing about the proposed elimination of the program where inmate crews are put to work on various projects for cities, counties, schools and other agencies. As of 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, it became a reality.
"In the budget document, it eliminated the 127 crew leaders statewide for these work crews," said Gillespie. "Their jobs were shifted to other duties."
He said the state Department of Correction is now looking to find a way to restore this program. The DOC already eliminated numerous positions by shifting some employees around. But in the near future, some DOC employees could be shifted around so the program can be put back in operation.
"What DOC is attempting to do is shift internally these positions," said Gillespie. "They are working on trying to restore these work crews. The intent is to reinstate those positions but they would charge local governments up to $150 a day for the work crews."
He added this could take a couple of months.
Gillespie said he voted against the 2009-2011 budget which resulted in the elimination of the program.
"This is just one of hundreds of items of why I voted against the budget," he said. "It is all about priorities as far as cuts and savings. This is definitely not one of my priorities that you ought to eliminate in order to cut costs. I opposed the budget because the priorities of the budget are not priorities. In the meantime, we are going to be without work crews until it can be worked out."
Sen. Joe Sam Queen, a Democrat who represents McDowell in the N.C. Senate, said he would work very hard to see the program reinstated.
"It has been good for the inmates and good for the community," he said. "There may be some cost sharing there. It is a great benefit for the communities. It really in the long range saves taxpayers' money. I know there's a lot of people eager to get it reinstated."
Sam Dotson, manager of the Marion Minimum Security Unit, said he and other DOC officials were notified to stop working on Aug. 31. A total of 127 work crews throughout North Carolina were eliminated as of 5 p.m. on that day.
Before that, inmates who had a good behavior record were given the privilege of being a part of the work crew. Under this program, a correctional officer supervises a crew of minimum custody inmates on short term, manual labor projects for local governments, state agencies and non-profit organizations. They will still be used to pick up litter alongside the roads.
The program has made a difference at McDowell Technical Community College. Prison work crews have done numerous things for the college over the years. They have moved huge amounts of furniture numerous times, painted walls and floors and done the interior demolition at the soon-to-open Ford Miller Employment and Training Complex. They have cleared brush, cut weeds, trimmed shrubs, mowed grass at various college sites and other jobs.
"I was taken aback when I heard the General Assembly was considering the elimination of the prison work crews, but you could have bowled me over with a pin when I realized they were really going to do it," said MTCC President Bryan Wilson. "It truly shocked me. The work they do in this county and across the state saves local taxpayers thousands of dollars a year."
The elimination of the program also affected two local corrections officers, who have been assigned to other duties.
"It is so amazing that they would cut this program," said Wayne Edwards, director of Basic Law Enforcement Training at MTCC. "To me it is mind-boggling. I am in awe over it. I know the corrections officers at all the prisons in this end of the state who are out working with these guys every day. I've known them for 20-plus years. These people work so very hard and DOC has some of their best people out their monitoring these crews. They get the best out of these inmates and try to help them turn around their lives. It is almost sinful to do away with this program. Really, truly, I can't believe it."
City of Marion officials are hopeful they will be able to continue the working relationship with the program in some form in the future. Mayor Everette Clark said "the Department of Correction has provided tremendous assistance to the city of Marion over the years, saving the city literally hundreds of thousands of dollars."
The city has used inmates assigned to the Public Works Department to perform work such as maintenance, grass mowing and weed trimming, janitorial services, trash pickup and other duties.
City Manager Bob Boyette said the inmates have helped the city continue to provide the same level of service, despite the elimination of several positions in the 2009-2010 budget. "The inmates come to work every day with a good attitude and ready to work and help us to continue the high level of service that our residents expect," said Public Works Director Chris Hollifield.
Freddie Killough, executive director of the Marion Business Association, said inmate work crews have, among other things, constructed the Historic Marion Tailgate Market's shelter, which saved the city $100,000. They also helped with set-up before the Mountain Glory festival and cleanup after the festival, picked up trash around Marion and assisted with other special building and grounds projects.
"The work these men perform is extremely valuable to the city and other governmental and non-profit agencies," said Killough. "The Tailgate Market shelter, Mountain Glory festival and many other events and projects would not have happened without inmate assistance."
Killough said she recently learned that the assistance of inmate work crews may still be available to the city, MBA and other local agencies in the future but it would be at a cost.
Clark said the city understands that tough budget decisions had to be made by the state.
"We appreciate everything the Department of Correction has done for the city in the past and especially for Marion being home to two state prisons," said Clark. "The city hopes to continue the excellent working relationship we have enjoyed with the DOC inmate work program in whatever form is possible in the future."
The town of Old Fort has benefited from the program. They have helped with the restoration of the Old Fort Cemetery and cut the grass at Old Fort Elementary.
"I am sure they have done a substantial amount of savings for us," said Mayor Pro Tem Carroll Miller. "It would certainly affect our ability to get things done that need to be done."
Miller said he and other town officials are sending a letter to get this program reinstated.
The inmates were scheduled to work this month on the building of the greenway park along the Catawba River and the Point Lookout Trail between Old Fort and Ridgecrest. They were going to clean out ditches and trim weeds along the parts of the Point Lookout Trail that cannot be reached by mowers. The inmates were also scheduled to work on the Round Hill extension and the riverbank at the greenway park, according to Bill Hendley of the McDowell Trails Association.
Hendley is encouraging the MTA members and the public to write or call Gillespie and Queen and let them know how much this program is needed.
"Only a huge public outcry can get this program reinstated," he said in an email. "The program has certainly saved local governments and agencies far more than the small amount it cost."
Dotson said the CWP could be reinstated.
"We still have the prisoners," he said. "We still have the tools."