Midland County's Inmate Work Program is Saving Taxpayers Thousands of Dollars
By:
Updated: August 3, 2010
Midland County's Community Inmate Work Program has only been up and running since Spring of last year.
But Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter is already calling it a success. He tells Big 2 News it's saving tax payers thousands of dollars.
"We have saved taxpayers somewhere around $51,200," said Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter.
Instead of sentencing criminals straight to jail for breaking the law Midland County Judges are ordering some of them to the Community Inmate Work Program.
" We've picked up tons of trash. All along the roads, on city properties, on county properties, on lots," explained Painter.
Taxpayers pay $60-$70 a day to house an inmate at the Midland County Detention Center. But this program keeps less dangerous criminals that have committed misdemeanors, and non-aggressive felonies from wasting our money. Plus, it opens up jail space.
"They come to work at 7:30 in the morning with their lunch in hand, and we change them out into jail clothes. And then they work for 8 hours and then we bring them back and they dress back into their civilian clothes and they go home," said Painter.
The program runs five days a week. It's up to the judge to determine how long a person is required to partake in the program.
Sheriff Painter also tells Big 2 News that they're expanding the program. They're starting to clean city parks and other areas.
The County works with Keep Midland Beautiful on this program.
