Inmate Work Programs

Sheriff Parker believes that inmates should not sit idle while serving their sentences. They owe a debt to society and an obligation to give back to the community. Since 2005, we have developed and implemented several very successful inmate work programs to get inmates off of their bunks, putting them to work for the good of the community.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office now leads the way in using inmates to work in innovative and useful programs in our county. New programs like Graffiti Busters, Paws and Stripes, County Landscaping, and our Sewing Program are just a few examples of the creative work programs we have designed to get inmates working to make our county a better place.

Inmate work programs save Brevard County taxpayers an estimated 10 million dollars each year while improving the quality of life for us all. In many cases, these work programs are the first real jobs these inmates have ever had. These programs are designed to be building blocks in creating a sense of responsibility, teamanship and work ethic for these inmates. Inmates are learning new skills which will give them a better chance of being successful once they are released.

Putting inmates to work is good for our community, cost effective and improves an inmate’s chance of making it in the real world.

The following pictures are examples of inmates from the Brevard County Jail in action in various Sheriff’s Office work programs.

Inmates Building Their Own Tents
  

Inmates from the jail played a significant role in building the tents they now live in. The decision to use tents instead of traditional jail construction saved millions of tax dollars. The decision to use jail inmates to build those tents saved even more by keeping the labor costs to a minimum.

Inmates Building the Female Jail

Jail inmates were also used to convert a low risk housing building next to the main jail into a fully functional female jail resulting in significant savings over the original concept of building a new facility. The original cost estimate of a new female jail was upwards of 15 million dollars. By using jail inmates to renovate the existing building, the cost dropped to $1.4 million, a 13.6 million dollar savings when compared to building a new facility.

Inmates Building the New Mental Health Cellblocks

Inmates also assisted in building the new mental health pod and drastically reduced the cost of that project. This new pod will hold approximately 328 dangerous inmates and is a major improvement to the jail that will result in a much safer facility.

Inmate Trash Clean-up Programs

Inmates from the jail are assigned to work crews that remove trash from roadways. Since the program’s expansion in 2005, they have collected and properly disposed of more than one million pounds of unsightly trash. Inmates involved in these clean-up programs get a real appreciation for their community and find it difficult to believe that people can be so careless. We hope that this new feeling of pride in their community will translate into becoming more responsible, law abiding citizens when they are released from jail. Jail inmates are also used to clean up trash around bridges and work with “Keep Brevard Beautiful” to clean up islands in the Banana and Indian Rivers.

Inmates Sewing & Making Their Own Uniforms

Inmates have been trained to sew and make their own uniforms out of bulk fabric. This not only teaches them a skill; it saves citizens an estimated $50,000 a year. Many of these inmates have expressed how proud they are to have become skilled in sewing and working with textiles. We are encouraged that some of these inmates will use this new skill to secure better employment when released from jail.

Inmate Bikes for Tykes Program

Some of the inmates assigned to the Sheriff’s Work Farm refurbish abandoned or unclaimed bicycles. These “like new” bikes are then donated to the North, Central and South Brevard Sharing Centers to give to underprivileged and deserving children.

Inmate Paws & Stripes Program
 

The Paws & Stripes program was created to train inmates to provide special obedience training to dogs previously thought to be unadoptable. This program gives inmates skills in basic animal care and saves the lives of animals that may have otherwise been destroyed. In many cases, this is the first time these inmates have had to care for something other than themselves. This program has proven to be a rewarding program with a very high success rate. Most of the graduating dogs are adopted out to a caring family. Something that most likely would not have happened without this program.

The Inmate Graffiti Busters Program

The Graffiti Busters program was created to put inmates to work removing graffiti in our community in an effort to reduce gang activity. Inmates participating in the program actually become frustrated with these criminals that degrade our community with graffiti. It gives the inmates an appreciation about how the destructive acts of some, affect us all. It also gives them a chance to give back by beautifying our community.

The Inmate Culinary Program

The Sheriff’s Office in a cooperative effort with Aramark, the food services provider at the jail, has partnered to create a “Jail Culinary Program”. The program teaches inmates about food safety and preparation. Inmates that successfully complete the program receive a food handler’s certificate. The certificate allows them to gain employment in the restaurant industry once they are released from jail.

The Inmate County Landscaping Program

In another partnership, the Sheriff’s Office has partnered with Brevard County’s Roadways and Landscaping Department to plant and care for trees and shrubs at the Sheriff’s Work Farm. Once the trees and shrubs mature, they are transplanted throughout the county in various beautification and landscaping projects. All using inmate labor at no cost to the county.

The Sheriffs Office is very proud of the new inmate programs that have been implemented over the past three years. It’s not only a good thing for Brevard County and the taxpayers; for the inmate it’s a positive step towards rehabilitation and re entry into the work force.