MILTON — Implementing public works projects in a 1,012-square-mile county takes significant manpower and a hefty budget.
Santa Rosa County uses the Florida Department of Corrections’ inmate work squads to aid in accomplishing more work — annually saving taxpayers well over $1 million, according to a county spokesperson.
"The practice of utilizing inmate labor helps us accomplish more work with less budget, prepares inmates for real-world jobs and reduces recidivism (relapse into criminal behavior)," Santa Rosa Public Works Director Stephen Furman said. "It's a win-win solution for everyone."
The county uses as many as 82 inmates each work day in a variety of supervised tasks. These include helping to build and maintain county parks, cleaning retention ponds and easements in neighborhoods, assisting at the Central Landfill, and removing trash and debris along major roadways. When inmate crews work in county parks, portions or the entire area may be closed to the public.
All inmates who elect to work on these squads must undergo extensive screening and must be non-violent offenders. Most are directly supervised by DOC officers, with a smaller percentage directed by county employees who have been trained and certified by the DOC to oversee inmates.
While the county occasionally receives calls from concerned residents requesting notice of neighborhood work scheduled with inmate labor, advance notification is not possible, according to a county spokesperson.
Scheduling of crews is done each morning. Supervisors are never guaranteed how many — if any — inmates will be available on a given day. During prison lock-downs, no inmates may leave on work detail.
DOC work schedules can change quickly, as officers are not always available to supervise or transport inmates to the work site. Weather, and shifts in project priorities, result in frequent last-minute changes to public works schedules.
The county lacks manpower for daily door-to-door notifications, and few residents maintain landline home phones necessary to receive calls, the spokesperson said.
See www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/Quickfacts.html for more information on the DOC's community work squad program.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Santa Rosa taxpayers save $1M annually through inmate labor