Ohio inmates learn job skills and help save taxpayer money
Having inmates work while imprisoned serves several purposes. The inmates learn job skills, taxpayers save money and recidivism rates improve. The inmates in Ohio have saved the state hundreds of thousands of dollars by butchering their own meat, processing dairy and making necessary items such as toilet paper and mattresses. Other states employ inmates and have seen similar benefits.
The Ohio Penal Industries workers also work for the private sector in areas such as furniture making and asbestos removal. Asbestos is a toxic substance that must be removed by qualified professionals in order to protect public health; training inmates to perform asbestos abatement work gives them the skills needed to get good, green jobs that are in demand in many areas. Once released, this work in the private sector helps inmates integrate more quickly into society and gives them real world working experience to draw on.
For the full story, go to Dayton Daily News.
