Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel is working to complete an inmate worker policy.
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.
While the policy is a work in progress, Sheriff Hassel told the Marshall County Commissioners that he spoke with the Putnam County Sheriff about that county’s policy that he thinks works really well.
“What’s unique about his is he actually hired a part-time retired police officer to run the program,” explained Sheriff Hassel. “People would contact him, he’d decide what days, gather the inmates, drive them to the work site, oversee them while they’re there, make sure they got lunch, load them back up and bring them back to the jail in the evening.”
He said hiring a part-time officer to oversee inmates in the program could be proposed in next year’s commissary budget. It could clear up an issue he’s currently experiencing.
“We had three inmates qualified and ready to fill sand bags, but we didn’t have anybody to watch them.”
Sheriff Hassel continues to work with County Attorney Jim Clevenger on the policy, proposed rules, and an inmate waiver which will be submitted for commissioner approval.
