Jail Inmates' Work Turns Up in Unexpected Places, From Trophies to Squad Cars

They may be locked up, but the handiwork of a select group of Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center inmates is all over office walls, fireplace mantels and parks throughout the region.

It’s even emblazoned on law enforcement vehicles up and down California.

Since 1994, inmates participating in the Rio Cosumnes Jail Industries program have served their time learning engraving and sign-making skills while producing everything from plaques and trophies to banners and vinyl decals.

The inmates’ client list includes school districts, cities and counties, park districts and athletic groups.

“They do all the production work,” Jail Industries Instructor Christie Koontz said. “There’s a list of people who want to be here.”

Unlike inmates in state prison work programs, who can earn between 30 and 95 cents an hour, Rio Cosumnes inmates are unpaid and do not earn “good time” credits to reduce their sentence. All profits they earn go back into the Jail Industries program to pay for materials, equipment and Koontz’s salary.

Only non-violent offenders qualify for the program, and inmates are carefully screened and interviewed by Koontz before she agrees to hire them.

Inmate Gerald Ayers, 39, said he doesn’t mind the lack of pay.

“It’s fun. I like coming here,” said Ayers, a former apartment maintenance manager who is serving a six-month sentence for driving under the influence. “It gives me experience with computers and tools. It’s a lot of hands-on stuff. I get to work on something and learn something new that I wouldn’t have being out on the streets.”

On a recent morning at the Jail Industries shop – a spacious, well-lit modular building with machines, shelving and rolls of paper lining the walls – Ayers and the other inmates made themselves cups of instant coffee and spent some down time talking to Koontz.

They were finishing their latest project – number decals roughly two-feet tall.

“They go on top of the patrol cars so helicopters can ID them from the air,” RCCC Assistant Commander Dave Torgerson explained.

Using a plastic spatula, Ayers carefully smoothed a large sheet of wax paper onto the numbers, taking care to get rid of any air bubbles or creases.

“It’s called masking,” he said.

Being part of Jail Industries keeps him in line, Ayers said.

“You have to make sure you have a clean background because we’re around a lot of tools that aren’t supposed to be taken back to the dorms,” Ayers said. “It’s a major trust issue.”

Work programs help keep the jail safe for inmates and staff, said RCCC Assistant Commander Dave Torgerson.

“You put together 2,000 men who don’t otherwise follow the rules of society and you’re going to have a pressure cooker,” Sacramento County Sheriff’s Lt. Torgerson said. “You can’t just lock them up and throw away the key. They need to have something to do.

“The work program is a great opportunity to have an organized activity that keeps them busy while learning new skills.”

Jails throughout California have similar programs, including ones in San Joaquin and Sonoma counties, where inmates work at an auto body repair shop and grow ornamental plants.

“From a prisoner rights standpoint, the ACLU does not have a problem with this kind of vocational-like program,” American Civil Liberties Union Sacramento County Chairwoman Debra Reiger said.

At one point, Koontz had as many as 20 inmates – men and women - working for her, but recent changes in early-release policies reduced the jail population and her pool of qualified applicants.

Today, there are only four inmates participating in the Jail Industries program.

The bad economy has also had an impact on business. Although Jail Industries offers prices 20 percent below the retail market, companies and public agencies have done away with employee recognition programs to save money.

Only a few years ago, Koontz said she had triple the business.

“My machines used to be up and running all the time,” she said.

Tina Helm, recreation supervisor for the Cameron Park Community Services District, has been hiring Koontz’s crew for more than a decade to make signs and banners for events such as the Fourth of July Summer Spectacular.

“It is surprising,” Helm said about the scope of the inmates’ work. “We’re very happy with their work."

Koontz doesn’t track participants once they are released. Turnover is high because inmates’ sentences are typically less than a year.

“It’s not long enough for them to learn much,” Koontz said, adding that as far as she knows, few inmates seek sign-making jobs on the outside.

“But hopefully they go out and make better life decisions.”