Chain Gang volunteers clean up while getting outdoors

PORT ANGELES — Inmates in the Clallam County Chain Gang get a taste of freedom each day as they clean up other people’s messes.

“It’s almost like you’re not even in jail,” said Aaron DeRousie, an inmate at the Clallam County jail who has served on the volunteer-only chain gang for about 3½ months.

“It’s a whole different environment than just being locked up in jail. We make the most of it, that’s for sure.”

The inmates wake each morning, eat breakfast, and by about 8 a.m. they are out on the streets picking up trash, clearing debris and cleaning dump sites.

It’s an all-day job and they don’t return back to jail until about 4:30 p.m. each day.

In January and February alone, inmates in the county’s two chain gangs have picked up 2,100 pounds of litter on 32 miles of roads, 20,860 pounds of garbage at 29 dump sites and pulled 10,560 scotch broom weeds, Sgt. Don Wenzl said.

It’s work the inmates say they are glad to do.

“It’s great to get out of the house, do something and get some sweat going,” said Jon Heilman, who on Wednesday had been on the chain gang for only two days. “We try to work as hard as we can, doing whatever they tell us to do.”

Inmates on the chain gang are shackled, though they aren’t chained together, and they work under the supervision of a corrections deputy.

Often, the corrections deputy will work alongside the inmates, doing some of the work they aren’t allowed to do, such as using chainsaws and other power tools that could cause serious injuries.

“I like it because it does provide a good service to the community,” said Corrections Deputy Nate Pence. “The roadside trash is a big problem.”

Pence said the chain gang usually finds out about potential dump sites from members of the public. They also drive around to sites where people are known to illegally dump their trash.

On Wednesday last week, they worked on taking apart an abandoned boat near Sequim.

Joining the chain gang has certain criteria, said Sheriff Bill Benedict, which includes looking at an inmate’s criminal history, whether they have been arrested or convicted of escaping and how long ago they had committed crimes. They also have to be healthy and fit to work.

“About 20 percent of our inmates — at least our regulars — find themselves on the chain gang or as a trustee,” he said.

He said maximum-risk inmates cannot join the chain gang, though medium- and low-risk inmates can be eligible.

“The folks that are on the chain gang are volunteers,” he said. “Nobody is forced and there is no shortage of volunteers.”

That is because of the perks that come with being a volunteer, Benedict said.

Inmates on the chain gang have slightly better living quarters, a bigger TV and snacks that other inmates don’t have access to.

“They are burning a lot of calories,” Benedict said.

They also get a bump in their “good time,” though for many, just getting out of jail for a few hours each day is reason enough to join the chain gang.

Heilman said if he wasn’t on the chain gang he’d likely just be sleeping the day away; he’d wake up for lunch and just watch TV.

Keeping the chain gangs operating isn’t cheap, Benedict he said, though much of the funding comes from outside sources. Each year the county budgets about $100,000 per chain gang, he said.

“It costs a fair amount of money because each chain gang has to have a dedicated corrections deputy out with them,” he said. “That’s in addition to whatever minimum numbers I need at the jail.”

Currently there are two chain gangs, but in the past there have been three. They use old diesel forest fighting vehicles that the Sheriff’s Office receives from the state Department of Natural Resources.

The county road department and the state help fund the majority of the costs associated with the chain gang, Benedict said.

“It’s costing taxpayers about $2 to $3 a hour for this labor that is incredibly efficient and worthwhile,” he said.

Benedict said allowing the inmates to work goes along with his philosophy of how to operate a jail.

“I believe inmates should have the opportunity to work and improve themselves,” he said, adding that inmates also help out in the jail’s kitchen and do much of the cleaning around the jail.

“The jail is probably cleaner than most people’s houses,” he said. “Just because someone is in jail doesn’t mean their food is [bad], that they are not treated with dignity and respect and it’s not a clean facility.”

Benedict said he is unaware of any other county chain gangs in the state. He knows there are other work release programs for low-risk inmates.

Benedict said he frequently hears from community members who appreciate the work the chain gang does.

“The vast majority of the public reacts favorably toward and appreciate what they do and the fact we give inmates the opportunity to give back and help out,” he said.

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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.