It’s been a long time coming, but Sampson County government officials have finally come up with at least one cost-reduction plan that makes sense and, quite frankly, should have been considered years ago — having inmates clean up roadside litter and assist in the yard maintenance of some its properties.

Part of the credit for this goes to Sheriff Jimmy Thornton for agreeing to make this type transition — one that will, ultimately, reap financial rewards for the Sheriff’s Department by way of state reimbursements — happen.

A large chunk of the credit also needs to go to interim county manager Jeffrey Hudson, who has a keen eye for cost-saving measures that help local government without disrupting services. In his 2025-26 budget message to commissioners earlier this week, Hudson even outlined future recommendations for the governing board that included not just help from inmates but quarterly clean-up Saturdays using volunteer county employees to assist in lowering the maintenance costs budgeted each year. He also, while working with key department leaders on the coming year’s fiscal plan, found agreement on cross-assistance with mowing that will also mean some reductions.

Thornton was already utilizing inmates to maintain the jail grounds, cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs, and cleaning the facility. So it wasn’t a giant leap to consider using those individuals to assist in the other maintenance needs at county buildings. But it is still commendable, and prudent.

“I think it will be a tremendous benefit to the citizens of Sampson County,” Hudson said when presenting the item to the board for approval Monday night. “The General Assembly of North Carolina has given each sheriff of each county in North Carolina the authority to use inmates incarcerated in the local county jail. Inmates that meet very specific criteria that are not deemed a risk to the public may be allowed to clean up state roadside litter and on county property with adequate supervision. This program is currently used in other parts of North Carolina with tremendous success.”

In a Wednesday Sampson Independent article, it was reported that the Sheriff’s Office will earn revenue for each incarcerated inmate if a minimum number of hours are used for cleanup every month — $40 a day for those inmates per day, with the Senate’s budget proposal upping that rate by an undetermined amount at this time. Thornton told commissioners Monday that if he can show inmates working 500 hours a month, the department would get $65 a day per inmate.

Between the need to cut maintenance costs, the vast number of Sampson roads, ditches and byways covered in litter and the reimbursements that will come back to the county, using misdemeanor inmates who are a low security risk seems an idea whose time has long since come.

But at least it was still within the county’s grasp and, more importantly, it was an idea that leaders finally latched onto.

The benefits of doing this are great, with little to no down side. We applaud Thornton and Hudson for implementing the idea so quickly. We hope it will be in place for a long time to come.