Rogers County Inmates Turn Trash To Cash For Sheriff's Department

The Rogers County Sheriff's Office has found a way to add around $50,000 a year to its budget by putting inmates to work, picking up trash along the turnpike.

The inmates are screened and chosen daily for the assignment. They're not dangerous individuals, they're people serving time in jail for crimes like vandalism, D.U.I. or not being able to pay their fines.

That's the case with John Ingram. He's been in the Rogers County jail two-and-a-half months because he can't pay the fines associated with a D.U.I.

He's already on the inmate work crew and does odd jobs at the jail, so when this assignment came up, he quickly volunteered.

"I would rather walk this highway than sit inside the jail, to be honest with you," Ingram said.

The five-person crews work ten hours a day, four days a week and the Turnpike Authority pays minimum wage for each person; $350 a day that goes to the sheriff's department, money much needed in tight budget times.

"We all benefit from this, trust me, the sheriff's office can use $50,000 added to the jail budget,” said Rogers County Sheriff, Scott Walton.

Ingram normally works for a party rental place, so he's used to being outdoors - setting up tents and tables - so for him, this is much better than being cooped up inside and he takes pride in the work they're doing.

"I feel pretty good about it. I was kinda perturbed this morning when I saw trash on the side of the road we cleaned up yesterday," he said.

Lots of people have already thanked the sheriff for making the roads cleaner and troopers say it's safer to because the inmates remove tire treads and dead animals from the traffic lanes.

They've found cell phones, money and horse blankets. It's a scavenger or sorts, and they fill up nearly two dumpsters worth of trash every day.

"They'll cover between 10 and 14 miles a day. If you watch them move down the road, they're not out for a stroll and a breath of fresh air, their heads are down and they're working,” Walton said.

The sheriff hopes to expand the program so more inmates are being productive and taxpayers benefit.

When they find something metal, like a ladder they found on the side of the road, it's recycled, which brings in a little additional money to the sheriff's office.