Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver said today his office has had great success with its inmate work release program since 2009.

The program, created by a local act of the Alabama Legislature, allows inmates to be employed by outside entities.

“The goal of the work release program is to provide a way for inmates to pay back child support and fines and break the cycle of repeat arrests for non-payment,” Shaver said. “We also hope the individuals establish working relationships with employers that may lead to a job when they are released.”

The employer is responsible for the inmate’s transportation, Shaver said, and submits the inmate’s paycheck to the Cherokee County Detention Center. From there, the sheriff’s office gets a percentage for expenses, while another goes to the Circuit Clerk’s office to pay fines and child support.

Shaver said this has “led to the payment of thousands of dollars in fines, restitution, and child support.” The Sheriff’s Office recently used its portion of the proceeds to buy three patrol vehicles, including most recently two new trucks. 

In addition, the inmate work detail washes county vehicles, cooks, cleans and does laundry inside the detention center. Inmates also pick up roadside trash, paint inside the county schools during the summer, and prepare and make repairs in county buildings. 

Shaver said inmates have also participated in big projects, such as the remodeling of a building for the Investigation Division, work on the Centre Police Department, repair of the Centre city pool and other projects for the Town of Cedar Bluff.

“In addition to saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor, the work detail allows inmates to be productive during their time of incarceration and experience the satisfaction of contributing to society by hard work and helping others,” Shaver said.