Taylor County leadership discusses expanding inmate work crew program

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – In a recent budget meeting for Taylor County, a discussion was held surrounding a proposal to expand the inmate work crew program to help with both county needs and budget reductions.

Using inmates to save the county money. That’s the idea behind a proposed plan to increase inmate work crews throughout Taylor County. Some commissioners say that due to growth in certain parts of the county, upgrading this particular resource could be a big benefit in several areas, including the county budget. Taylor County Judge Phil Crowley highlighted how utilizing inmate work crews comes at a far less cost to Taylor County taxpayers than hiring new salaried county workers.

“The thought process is, well, if we could have more inmate work crews, obviously that’s a lot cheaper for the taxpayer, a better benefit from a taxpayer standpoint than adding more personnel to the county,” Crowley said.

The county and its residents aren’t the only ones seeing the benefit, as being part of a work crew allows inmates some incentives as well. Inmate work crews traditionally help out in basic labor tasks that include both indoor and outdoor work. Some of those tasks include maintenance, landscaping, and even county road upkeep and repairs. In order to be considered for a work crew, inmates are traditionally low-level offenders who are at a minimal risk of causing problems outside of a cell. Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop explained that many of these types of inmates utilize the work crew program in order to get reductions on their sentences.

“Somebody who comes to jail on a DWI gets sentenced to 90 days in the county jail. Well, they can go on the work crew and earn three for one. So, essentially, they can get out in 30 days, plus $100 a day can go towards their fines and court costs,” Bishop explained.

Because of these potential reductions, county leadership is also pointing out that reduced sentences for these inmates also help reduce the population of the jail itself and the days that Taylor County taxpayers have to pay for in order to house these individuals. Sheriff Bishop also spoke to how this program helps the inmates learn a skill that they may not have had previously and how he has seen it help some with life after incarceration.

“We’ve had several that have never used a lawnmower, weed eater, chainsaw, or anything in their life. They go out on the work crew and they learn how to use it. I know some of the lawn companies here in town have hired some of the guys that have come out of our facilities,” Bishop shared.

Currently, Taylor County only has two inmate work crews that consist of no more than five inmates per crew. If this proposal by Sheriff Bishop follows through, there could be a possibility of an inmate work crew for every precinct within Taylor County.