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Hernando Today
Published: July 29, 2012
Updated: July 29, 2012 - 12:00 AM
County Commissioner Jim Adkins said he heard about other counties using prisoners to help care for dogs and cats at their animal services departments and he wondered whether the idea would work at the cash-strapped Hernando County facility.
He put out feelers to the sheriff's office and others and will soon broach the idea to his colleagues on the board.
Adkins said he was told by Sheriff Al Nienhuis it would cost the county about $60,000 for him to hire a deputy to transport and supervise prisoners from the jail.
To save money, Adkins looked into certifying some animal services employees so they could do the transports and supervision free of charge. That certification training is already under way, he said.
Adkins said only the low-risk prisoners would be allowed to groom and bathe the animals and tend the grounds. He figures the department would only need about three of them.
"I think honestly a prisoner work detail would enjoy working with animals," Adkins said.
They could supplement the staff at animal services and help facilitate operations there, Adkins said.
The inmates would work in conjunction with the department's paid staffers and volunteers.
Public Safety Director Mike Nickerson said he is planning to enroll his staffers in the next available class.
County parks staffers already are certified to transport prisoners who take them to designated maintenance spots in the county, he said.
The city of Brooksville also uses prisoners to help maintain sites and roads.
Nickerson, in charge of animal services, said the inmates would clean cages and kennels and help out with grooming or other duties.
"The only real problem is that the number of trustees is in high demand for assignments in the county," he said. "As long as we can get people to do the work, they can make up any shortfall that we have."
Nickerson said the inmate program has been successful elsewhere.
"I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work here, as long as we pick and choose what inmates we want," he said.
For example, no prisoners with a history of animal abuse would be allowed to work with the cats and dogs, he said.
No current paid staffers would lose their jobs because of this program, he added.
Jim Walker, detention administration captain at the Hernando County Jail, said he and his staff would determine which inmates and how many could be released to county employees.
Those employees could pick up the trustees, supervise them at animal services and return them at end of the day.
Walker said he is somewhat uncomfortable with three inmates being released at one time and he would have to scrutinize that request.
Right now, county employees pick up inmates to work at the landfill, but that is normally two or three, he said.
Larger inmate crews, such as found on road details, will always have an armed deputy supervising them, he said.
Walker said the program aids inmate rehabilitation.
"That's the ultimate goal," he said. "It teaches them life skills so that when their time is complete they can be more productive."
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