Putting jail inmates to work a smart move
It’s a continuing gripe that jail inmates get to sit back and live off taxpayer dollars during their incarceration.
Local officials have recently taken steps to keep inmates from loafing their time away behind bars with a new program that has minor offenders cultivating a vegetable garden. Vegetables grown in that garden will eventually make their way to the kitchen at Warren County Jail, providing fresh and healthy food for inmates to enjoy.
From every perspective, the new project is positive. It will eventually help the jail cut back just a bit with its food costs. And, most of all, it will give the inmates a productive way to spend their time. As stated by County Executive Kenneth Rogers, it will give inmates a sense of pride, a feeling that they have accomplished something other than wasting their time playing cards and watching TV on the weekends.
It’s projects such as this one which taxpayers have long called for – and for good reason. If taxpayers are footing the bill for criminals during their stay in jail, the criminals can at least do something in return. And while jail resources – and jail officers – are indeed scarce, there are a number of ways minor offenders can work for the betterment of Warren County.
Keep in mind, these are minor offenders who might be in jail serving a 10-day sentence, who pose no major threat to society. If they did, we certainly hope the sentence would be longer than 10 days.
Instead of these people wasting 10 days in jail, it would be a tremendous benefit if they could pick up trash on the side of the road, for example. If there’s one thing Tennessee has no problem generating, it’s roadside trash. Take a ride down any road in this county and you’ll find this to be true.
While keeping people from littering appears an impossible task, it would be nice if jail inmates could be used daily to clean up this garbage. Unfortunately, there aren’t always deputies available to see this plan through to completion.
Or how about mowing lawns. Now that summer is here, cutting grass is oftentimes a weekly chore. This can be troublesome for some of the county’s elderly residents who no longer have the spunk to mow their own yard and who might have trouble paying for professional landscapers on a regular basis.
That’s where Warren County Jail inmates could fill in nicely. Give them a push mower and a can of gas and put them to work. It would sure make people feel better to see these minor offenders working in the summer sun than propped up on a jailhouse cot.
Implementing such programs would of course require some money, something the state and the county are struggling to find. But if there is a way to make these programs self-sufficient (perhaps a $5 contribution from seniors who have their lawn mowed) maybe that’s a program which could become a reality.
If it’s a way for inmates to work for their supper, instead of being granted a free ride while they’re in jail, it’s certainly worth exploring.