Maybe you’ve seen them in their bright orange jumpsuits picking up trash along the county’s streets and highways. They are inmates of the Lake County Jail and participants in a pilot work program launched in June by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department with the approval of the Lake County Board’s Law and Judicial Committee. County Jail Supt. Larry Lesza recently talked about the program and what it means for the inmates and communities.
Q. Why was the program created, and how does it work?
A. It was Sheriff Gary Del Re who really got it off the ground. Because only about 40 percent of the county is involved in an Adopt-a-Highway program, he thought this would be a positive way to utilize low-risk inmates while at the same time cleaning up the neighborhoods. We operate the program once a week using existing staff to provide security on an overtime basis. Inmates volunteer for the program and must follow the same rules of conduct as apply in the jail.
Q. What type of inmates are involved?
A. They’re low-bond, non-violent individuals who have been charged with misdemeanors and have usually been sentenced to less than six months in the county jail.
Q. What kind of work details have they been assigned?
A. We’ve had them picking up trash along the main thoroughfares in six or seven different areas of the county, and we’ve coordinated our efforts with the Lake County Division of Transportation in Libertyville. They provide us with trash bags, signs and equipment, which they then retrieve with their trucks at the end of the day. It’s been extremely successful. (According to the transportation division, the inmates have cleaned up about 50 road sections around the county and have collected an estimated 10,000 pounds of debris.)
Q. What are the benefits?
A. It’s an incentive for inmates because their participation in the program can make them eligible for early modifications of their sentences. It’s similar to what they do in the state system to help prevent overcrowding. It’s also a minimum cost for us, yet it can really show the community that these individuals aren’t all bad and that they can and should help out. And if the communities embrace this program like they have in other states, . . . it could save them a lot of money and aesthetically improve their parks and community areas.
Q. Any criticisms?
A. There’s no way you’re ever going to please everybody, but the majority of people we’ve talked to have encouraged the program and want it expanded.
Q. Will the program be adopted?
A. It’s still a money issue, but we are looking at increasing next year’s budget so we can fund the additional staff necessary to continue and possibly expand the program.
