Prisoner work plan saves city $680,000

By Jeff Bunn
Capital Journal staff
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010 - 01:13:46 am CST

PIERRE — A program four years in the making continues to save taxpayers money and benefit local inmates.

Tom Farnsworth, park and recreation director, gave the city commission the annual report on the Department of Corrections Community Service Worker program.

Since 2006, the use of inmates from the women’s prison has saved the city about $688,000 and anywhere from 3.7 to 4.8 full-time employees.

“This is a good partnership,” said commissioner Jeanne Goodman.

Last year, inmates worked 9,980 hours cleaning debris, city buildings, weeding and maintaining park grounds.

“It’s a nice cost saver,” Farnsworth said. “The inmates are courteous and do a good job.”

In 2006, inmates worked 7,000 hours. That has increased each year. As hours have gone up, so has the cost to the city to pay the women $1 per hour.

In 2009, $10,000 was paid by the city.

As many as seven inmates work each day. There are unannounced work checks and Farnsworth said there have been no incidents to jeopardize the program, which is supervised by park department staff.

The partnership, which former commissioner Jason Glodt initiated, has reduced seasonal staff from 16 in 2005 to 11 last year.

Inmates work in snow removal and will be involved in the installation of new sprinklers in the parks.

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Comments

8 comment(s)

Not a criminal wrote on Mar 5, 2010 10:57 AM:

" I agree with "Accountable" , going to jail doesn't mean working at Mcdonalds or does it. Not all of the jobs are city or state. I am sure that the food service jobs are saving the taxpayer money ! "

Dave wrote on Feb 25, 2010 9:06 AM:

" Accountable, while it may seem that way, it's not really true. The city obviously didn't give the $680,000 back to the taxpayers. That money is just redirected to other programs. If it's a road construction project, then people are hired to work it. Or maybe it's redirected to help staff an understaffed office which is a job and increases customer service to us. True, it did save the city 3.7 to 4.8 FT positions, but that really just means they moved the money around and created those FT positions somewhere else. "

Roger wrote on Feb 24, 2010 7:06 PM:

" Train them to plow the streets and fill the pot holes. Oops.....guess the city doesnt have anyone qualified to do that. "

Accountable wrote on Feb 24, 2010 12:49 PM:

" Though the work program is very beneficial for the inmates involved and the city, it (the program) takes away jobs for civilians trying to make a living. "

fort pierre resident wrote on Feb 24, 2010 12:20 PM:

" I agree with Grateful I believe these Ladies Jeanne Simpson and Shelly Hatcher deserve kudo's they might be the supervisor but know for a fact they both get out there and work and keep the buildings shiny and the parks clean. "

ol timer wrote on Feb 24, 2010 9:52 AM:

" i think the program has positives and i also believe it saves money. however, i questions the math and the assumptions that get the savings to the amount mr farnsworth computes. my understanding was that he used a number around $17 an hour as the value of the work if civilian labor was used to pick up trach and clean buildings. is that what janitors recieve in pay from the city these days?? perhaps i need to come back to work. "

Grateful wrote on Feb 24, 2010 6:26 AM:

" I would like to say what a great job the city employees do supervising these inmates and how dedicated they are to see the work gets done.
I know for a fact the lady who heads the park and rec inmates is right out there with them working, whether it is weed eating, snow removal or whatever needs to be done. Hot weather or cold, they are there to get it done.
Thank you Shelly Hatcher and Jeanne Simpson and to all staff...you do make the difference working with these ladies.
The city should be proud! "

Wonders wrote on Feb 24, 2010 6:20 AM:

" With all this money the city saved by using inmates, why does our utlity bill continue to go up? A smart one would use money saved on one thing and spend it where it is needed....its a called a budget, NEEDS vs. WANTS, and not spending all you have. "

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