|
|
Jail Industries
Going to jail isn't fun at all. It could be worse, though - most jails don't have a Jail Industries Program (JI) like the Utah County Jail. This is a great way for inmates who have demonstrated that they can be trusted to earn some money and get job experience. It also helps pass the time and you get to live in a place that sometimes doesn't even feel like jail.
You apply for the JI program when you are in "the blocks" - usually when you are in Sundance. When you are accepted they will advise you to have somebody bring you regular clothes and you will move to "the annex." Keep in mind that usually sex offenders or violent offenders won't be considered for JI (they cannot take any risks since you will be working with regular people), but they will make exceptions if you have some mitigating circumstances.
The Annex is a million times better than the blocks. You are living with people who have been granted work release and you can wear your own clothes. After 1-2 months in the regular part of the jail it is really nice.
When you are in the Jail Industries program a bus will pick you up early in the morning and take you to one of four places - Liberty Safe, Action Target, BMC West or Haulmark (no, not Hallmark - they aren't having inmates write their greeting cards... yet). You will be trained on a job and will work a full day, usually between eight and ten hours. Occassionally the jail will send guards over to do a visual inspection and make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing but this is pretty rare. You will be working with normal civilians and for the most part they are respectful and know you are a good worker because they are used to working with the inmates.
You are not paid very much (it is less than $2/hour), but it will go on your books so your family doesn't have to keep giving you money. Most importantly, however, is that the time flies by when you are working. Most inmates who do a year in the county jail with ten months of that in the JI program say that the first two months felt longer than the rest of the time they were there.
One of the reasons the JI program has been so successful in the Utah County Jail is because most inmates really can be trusted - it is very rare for an inmate to escape from their job site. The few times this has been done they have been picked up within a few hours and had new charges added (usually resulting in a trip to prison, not jail). This is also a great opportunity to learn a new skill. Even white-collar criminals who end up in the JI program are grateful for the opportunity to try something new and pass their time more quickly in jail.
|
|
