Lake Erie Prison inmates relish 'outside' work

They are serving time. But some prison inmates in Ashtabula County are also serving the community outside their prison walls.

The inmates work for free. Warden Rich Gansheimer said the program was started about nine years ago.  "These (jobs) are things that would not get done otherwise," Gansheimer said. "We've done work for Little Leagues, churches, City Halls and Boy Scout camps.  We get more requests than we can fill." 

Two corrections officers supervise the inmates while they work. Gansheimer said there are never more than six inmates on a job site and all inmates meet the lowest level of security needed.  The inmates log more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work outside prison walls.

Several inmates regularly put in time maintaining eight different baseball fields at a local community youth organization.  Officials there describe their efforts as “sincere” and “perfect."

One Lake Erie inmate added, "I take pride in what we do.  Before I got locked up, I never thought of volunteering to help people.  But now I know I'm going to continue donating some of my time, once I get out, to help other people."

(posted 10/20/09)

More News