- November 1, 2024
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The Inmate Work Crew, launched last year by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, has saved taxpayers $75,000 annually, according to a news release by FCSO.
Currently, the Inmate Work Crew provides landscaping and grounds keeping services to 13 locations within the county, including: the Flagler County Jail, the FCFRD fire tower training center area, the FCSO Operations Center, the Flagler County Storage Yard, the Eagle Lake Water Plant, the Fire Flight Airport Hanger complex and and Old Dixie Park.
Most recently, the Inmate Work Crew participated in cleaning up the homeless camp in the wooded area behind the Flagler County
Public Library.
The inmates selected to participate in the Inmate Work Crew are all non-violent county-sentenced inmates who are supervised by a trained detention deputy at no additional cost to tax payers. In addition to landscaping, the Inmate Work Crew tackles other tasks on an as-needed basis, such as removing old graphics on police vehicles going to auction, moving furniture and more.
“The Inmate Work Crew has been beneficial for everyone involved,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a release. “There is absolutely no downside to having the Inmate Work Crew, we are saving tax dollars and providing much needed work experience for the inmates where they learn how to use landscaping equipment. Programs like the Inmate Workforce and STRIDE are used to rehabilitate offenders and encourage them to turn their lives around and become productive citizens by providing them the tools to be successful when released from jail.”
Inmate work crews are controlled by state law and can only be used on public property.
