Research also showed that as defendants go through the court system they could be sentenced to the workhouse.        

This goes back to my belief that non-violent inmates who can work should be put to work for the taxpayers of this county who bear responsibility for a majority of the cost for their incarceration. This would give us a labor pool for a variety of projects, some we may not otherwise be able to afford because of the high cost of labor.        

Since I first proposed the concept of a workhouse to the Law Enforcement Committee, further research showed that state law already gives the sheriff the authority to use inmates for various tasks on county roads and public property without having to declare the jail to be a workhouse or build a separate workhouse.

        It is spelled out in TCA 41-2-123 (b)(1).  “When any prisoner has been sentenced to imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed 11 months and 29 days, the sheriff of the county is authorized to permit the prisoner to work on the county roads or within municipalities within the county on roads, parks, public property, public easements or alongside public waterways up to a maximum of 50 feet from the shoreline.”

This law is very clear in giving me as your sheriff the authority to institute a work program without first declaring the jail to be a workhouse.  I have contacted CTAS attorneys and they agree we can begin this work program now and we can later build a facility to house non-violent inmates without having to be declared a workhouse.

Based on the above law, I have made the decision to begin a work program on Tuesday, February 27th using a limited number of inmates from the jail. I believe starting small we can grow over time.   

        The law is also specific about the type of work inmates can perform.

“It is the duty of such prisoners to pick up and collect litter, trash, and other miscellaneous items that are unsightly to the public and that have accumulated on the county roads. All such prisoners participating in this work program shall be under the supervision of the county sheriff or the sheriff’s representative.” TCA 41-2-123 (b)(2).

        I believe when fully operational, we may be able to utilize up to 100 or 150 in this work program to work on public property. Eventually, we should build a low-cost bunkhouse facility near or adjacent to the judicial center that would become the area of the jail that houses these non-violent low risk inmates who participate in the work program.  By placing the bunkhouse on site, we will be able to use our correction officers to supervise it and the jail’s medical unit and kitchen to provide health care and food.

Constructing a minimum-security bunkhouse would free up high cost jail space needed for more violent offenders and with a classroom attached we will be able to better provide programs to help reduce recidivism.   

        Non-violent inmates will have an incentive to participate in the program.  State law allows them to receive credits that reduce the length of their incarceration. For each day worked on the road the prisoners earn two days of credits.     

We have inmates who are now sitting in jail with special skills, such as carpentry, painting, and construction, who could be using those skills to save the county money and reduce the cost of their incarceration.

Non-violent inmates who are selected for the program will wear prison clothing with orange vests while working on public property.
I want to thank the county commission for their support of the work program and their encouragement to get it underway as soon as possible.

I will periodically update you, the citizens, on the progress of this program in this space and through other local news media.