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| Vote has inmates back on the job |
| By saratogian.com |
| Published: 11/16/2009 |
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SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York voters overwhelmingly approved letting state and county inmates voluntarily perform work for nonprofit agencies in last week’s general election. The statewide proposition was largely designed to provide an air-tight defense in case the practice of using inmates was challenged legally. Despite the vote’s outcome, work crews available to communities have been slashed in half by state budget cuts. “We went from 207 crews statewide in October 2008, just prior to the first round of prison consolidations, to 93 crews statewide as of now,” said Erik Kriss of the state Department of Corrections. Mount McGregor in Wilton used to have 10 inmate work crews. This summer minimum-security Camp McGregor was closed. A medium-security correctional facility still remains. However, it only supplies three work crews now and the Town of Wilton Highway Department, which used to rely heavily on such help, gets none at all. “I think we had our last crew in March,” Highway Superintendent Kirklin D. Woodcock said. “The cemeteries aren’t getting done. They’re not being raked and cleaned. I don’t have the staff. That’s going to have to be done in the spring. It’s going to be much harder if we don’t get it done now.” Crews are composed of inmates whose sentences are almost up and who pose the least risk of flight. Prisoners are only going to state-run sites now, such as Saratoga Spa State Park. “We still get crews, but they’re much smaller,” Park Manager Mike Greenslade said. “They’re here every day, but instead of 12 now we get six or eight. They still accomplish quite a bit — leaf pickup, grass trimming, mowing, picking up litter after concerts. Anything that requires a lot of manpower. It’s a huge help.” Crews work in winter as well, shoveling paths and keeping walks free of ice. “They enjoy being outdoors,” Greenslade said. “They seem to enjoy being here at the park and away from the prison.” The corrections department says it’s saving $11 million statewide by cutting back on community work programs. Each crew must be accompanied by a guard, and transportation and vehicle maintenance costs are involved, too. State prison inmates volunteer for such jobs and are paid $1.05 per day for their efforts. Some county jails allow inmates to do projects for local civic groups and organizations. Saratoga County Jail does not. At one time, inmates did work at the adjacent county animal shelter in Ballston Spa. However, the jail doesn’t have a policy of letting inmates work in the community. “It’s a combination of things,” Undersheriff Mike Woodcock said. “You have to send a guard with a vehicle. There’s minimal staffing in corrections now.” Inmates would also have to be screened, to see which pose the least flight risk, which is always a concern, he said. Read More. |
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