Sampson Sheriff Jimmy Thornton speaks with county commissioners about starting a program that will allow inmates to clean up roadsides and other areas.
Abby Cavenaugh | Sampson Independent
County jail inmates will soon lend a hand in helping to clean up litter throughout roadside areas and on county property.
A resolution to enter in to the program with Sheriff Jimmy Thornton was unanimously approved at the Monday night meeting of the Sampson County Board of Commissioners.
“I think it will be a tremendous benefit to the citizens of Sampson County,” Interim County Manager Jeffrey Hudson said when presenting the item to the board for approval. “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 typically state roadside litter and on county property with adequate supervision. This program is currently used in other parts of North Carolina with tremendous success.”
It’s no secret that Sampson County has many areas that are in need of cleanup, Hudson added. In fact, at last month’s meeting, one citizen spoke out in favor of the county increasing its efforts to control litter. Many others have spoken out on the same issue in the past, Hudson pointed out.
“Using select inmates to help with cleanup is a responsible method to clean up Sampson County roads,” he said. “NCDOT will provide bags for trash and will collect all trash. Inmates are eligible to earn reduced time by participating in the program, and are able to leave the confines of the jail.”
Sheriff Jimmy Thornton stressed that the inmates utilized in the program will be low security risk, those who are serving time for misdemeanors. There are currently 30-40 such inmates in the county jail, he reported.
The Sheriff’s Office will earn revenue for each incarcerated inmate if a minimum number of hours are used for cleanup every month. “We get $40 a day for those inmates per day. In the Senate’s budget, they are proposing upping that rate but I don’t know how much that would be. However, if you want to show work hours, if they work 500 hours a month, we’ll get $65 a day,” Sheriff Thornton shared.
Inmates currently work on maintaining the jail grounds, he said, cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs, and cleaning the facility. “They’re currently supervised by one of the detention officers to maintain the grounds,” he said. “We don’t necessarily need an armed officer to supervise grass cutting. However, if we get into the roadside cleanup, that would require an armed officer. We will not need a new position.”
Hudson reported that inmates, residents and county governments that have used inmates to clean up litter “have been very pleased with the results.”
However, he noted that the program is not meant for the cleanup of illegal dumps. “We know that there are certain intense areas where people just dump and dump. This program is not for that,” Hudson said. “The property owner remains responsible for cleanup of trash on private property.”
Hudson also stressed that the inmates won’t being cleanup duty immediately, but the approval of the resolution was a positive first step.
“I’m willing to give it a try because there have been a lot of concerns expressed by citizens over trash, and rightly so,” Thornton said. “Trash is an issue, and I’m willing to do my part.”
Commissioner Lethia Lee thanked the sheriff for being willing to start the program in Sampson. “I’m just so enthused about everybody jumping in and wanting to help,” she said. “That’s what I see happening now. Maybe some more people will come on and want to help because we all see the need.”
Commissioner Thaddeus Godwin agreed. “This is a win-win situation for our county and our environment,” he said.