The Marshall County Commissioners gave permission to Sheriff Matt Hassel to put the inmate worker policy into effect.
The sheriff previously told the commissioners that the policy puts together procedures to ensure that jail inmates provide manual labor to local government departments and certain not-for-profit organizations with no risk.
A request for labor would be made to the sheriff and he would approve the request. The inmate would be transported to the site by a deputy or an employee, but it must be in a county vehicle for liability purposes.
The sheriff said a part-time officer to oversee inmates in the program will be proposed in his budget next year.
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer commented that it will be a good program. Sheriff Hassel agreed.
“We’ve kind of done it for a while, but mainly just around the jail and then tried it where they helped out at the courthouse,” said Hassel.
“Those guys really did a wonderful job,” commented Overmyer.”
“I saw that,” continued Hassel, “I kinda want to expand on that as I can. We don’t have a lot of opportunities for them out there, especially the ones that are about finished with their time anyway. Let them go get their hands dirty and let them do something.”
The policy will be put into place at the sheriff’s discretion, but it is available to be implemented at any time.
