Inmate labor might come with a price in the future
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Joshua Colbert of East Wenatchee, part of the Chelan County inmate labor crew, positions rocks into a new pond and water feature at the Sunken Wedding Lawn at Ohme Gardens on Monday. Chelan County officials are exploring ways groups that use inmate labor can share the cost.
WENATCHEE — Local governments and nonprofit organizations might have to start paying for inmate labor.
Chelan County officials, concerned about the rising costs of industrial insurance premiums for injuries on the job, are exploring ways other entities can share in the costs, said Phil Stanley, administrator for the jail at the Chelan County Regional Justice Center. One possibility is charging $1 per hour per inmate.
“We are doing some research into the issue and we haven’t set up any kind of fee, so nothing is changing this moment. But we anticipate changes in the future because right now the liability is borne by Chelan County,” Stanley said.
On most days, Stanley said, 30 to 40 inmates are out working in the community.
“It’s a way to help organizations that struggle with budgets, as well as an opportunity for inmates to do something meaningful and to contribute to society,” he said.
Prompting research into a possible fee is a claim filed in the past year by an inmate who broke his leg when a wheelbarrow fell on him while he was working at Ohme Gardens County Park. The claim caused the county’s industrial insurance premium to go up.
Cathy Mulhall, the county administrator, said the rise in premiums, from $83,788 this year to $131,054 for next year, is based on a 10-year-average of claims filed by the jail, which includes jail staff and inmates.
Mulhall said she thinks a charge for inmate labor would have been considered even without the Ohme Gardens injury claim “because we are running an inmate program that has a cost and we are not charging the cost,” she said.
Inmates — all minimum security prisoners — who qualify to work outside the jail do a variety of jobs for such governmental entities as the city of Wenatchee and Douglas County, along with nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army and the North Central Washington Food Distribution Center. Among other jobs, inmate workers pick up litter and do landscape work.
Stanley has told Chelan County commissioners that he and other jail administrators are investigating the best way to allow other entities to share in costs arising from any Labor and Industries claims.
Yet to be determined is whether it would be an up-front fee or a cost borne by an organization if a claim is filed. Stanley said he expects a policy to be set by January. He noted that one possibility is charging organizations $1 per hour per inmate.
At the Salvation Army, where inmates work at the thrift store, store manager Tammy Stevens said “I think it would definitely have an impact” on the budget. The store uses the inmates to bring in and load out donations and to distribute items around the store.
She said the store uses two to four inmates six hours a day six days a week. That would cost the Salvation Army from $72 to $144 a week.
At the Chelan County Expo Center in Cashmere, formerly the county fairgrounds, Director Marsha Clute said she had not heard of possible increases so could not comment on how they might impact the self-sustaining center. She said the center uses three inmates five days a week. At six hours per day, that could cost the center $90 a week.
Dee Riggs: 664-7147
deeriggs@wenatcheeworld.com
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Comments
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MADGSXR (MAD GSXR) says...
Maybe we can use "Inmate labor" to pick our fruit!?!?
November 3, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ReiMiraa (Rachel Miller) says...
not many would use them for that. Not for cherries. too early hours. second, no one wants to train them how to pick, they are not as efficient as the migrant workers.
November 3, 2009 at 7:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
girlfawkes (r wools) says...
It would set a dangerous precedent to use inmate labor for private for-profit business. While the idea sounds nice, how do you determine which businesses get this windfall of cheap labor? This is just one of the many problems this idea poses. Besides the issue of fairness, we don't want the county deciding that having inmates is a money making scheme. We already have too many non-violent offenders in the county system, we don't need the local government deciding it's profitable to have more. That's how you end up with dangerous government sanctioned criminals like sheriff Joe Arpaio. Despite all his "good" intentions he has cost his county more in court judgments that he ever can or will save, and inmates die under his watch. I'm all for the minimum 3 hots and a cot and help with government projects, but let's keep private business out of it. Even the Salvo getting to take advantage of this is a bit suspect IMO.
November 3, 2009 at 7:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Chuck (C. Ulysses Farley) says...
What happens to our already dwindling entry-level job markets (what remains of them) if companies can get inmate labor for a fraction of the cost. Already we may get slammed with cap and trade and universal health care-both of which will drive many businesses under and now this?
Here's a better idea: reform the drug laws to free up prison space for the people who cannot function in society; free up industry to create jobs, deregulate to create more industry and see how it goes from there.
November 3, 2009 at 8:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
girlfawkes (r wools) says...
Exactly, Chuck. We don't need inmates working in the private sector, period.
November 4, 2009 at 12:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kitkatbar (ashley jones) says...
nothings free in this world today!!
November 4, 2009 at 1:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Orphanthall (Nathan Smith) says...
There are tons of entry level jobs. That is why we have millions of illegal aliens entering our country every year. I believe they should use more inmate labor. Maybe they will learn how to work and get a job when they get out of jail. Even pay them a token amount if money can be made so they can learn the value of hard work. Keeping inmates busy also reduces problems within the jail as their minds are busy with work instead of creating problems.
November 4, 2009 at 5:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Norm (Norm Messer) says...
1. Who's gonna pay even minimum wage for non-convict labor when they can get prison labor for a dollar a day?
2. Such uncompetitive wage rates for those using prison labor would result in powerful downward pressure on everybody's wages (including yours).
3. When people can make money from having people in jail, they are incentivized to put more people in jail, regardless of whether they belong there or not.
.
The downside is unacceptable; the cost outweighs the benefit by orders of magnitude. Absolutely no prison labor for private industry.
November 4, 2009 at 7:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cactus (Jerry Patterson) says...
$47,266 Increase in premiums!!?? GOOD GOD! What a ripoff! "based on a 10-year-average of claims filed by the jail, which includes jail staff and inmates." Oh yeah sure...cuz ya know, the insurance company just handed out free money in those claims. Not like the county paid premiums all that times, or anything. Funny how you can pay an insurance company for years...way more than they pay out..and regardless, when you do take back a little of what you've paid, rates go up. Almost $50k!
November 4, 2009 at 8:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kitkatbar (ashley jones) says...
yeah thats crazy!!! jerry :)
November 5, 2009 at 12:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )