The Denison City Council last week voted in favor of an agreement that would help to jump start projects in the city while also benefitting individuals who are incarcerated at a minimum-security facility with the Iowa Department of Corrections.

The city council voted to allow City Manager Jessica Garcia to sign an incarcerated individual work agreement with Iowa Prison Industries (IPI).

The agreement is for one year.

The city envisions using incarcerated individuals from the Department of Corrections North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City to help the public works department with tree removal and the parks department with park maintenance.

Rod Olson, director of public works, has had training in the program at Rockwell City. Garcia said she would also like to have Sam Ellis, parks and rec director, and Manny Barroso with the parks department receive the same training.

Under the return-to-work program certain individuals who are incarcerated are certified for work. The program assists with lower recidivism rates, helps individuals obtain workforce skills and helps them earn money to pay fines and restitutions, Garcia explained.

Garcia said many other cities that are within Region XII use the program as an opportunity to get some extra assistance and work done within their departments.

Garcia explained that there are two programs. One is a supervised group in which from three to up to 20 individuals come to the community to work and have a supervisor along with them. The city pays a flat rate per hour based on the number of individuals that come to the community to work.

Garcia said she discussed with Olson that one of those projects would be to take down dying and deteriorating trees in the city right of way at a quicker rate, using a larger number of workers.

“Please understand this is not to replace the work of any other full-time employees,” Garcia told the council members. “It says that right in the agreement that we’re not using this to replace hiring any other full-time individuals.”

Garcia said that in conversation with Martin Chase, off-grounds supervisor with IPI, the end of May or early June is as soon as the City of Denison could get on the calendar for workers.

Garcia explained the second option or program is an off-site incarcerated individual work agreement. In this option, the workers have to be supervised by someone who has gone through the training with the IPI, like Olson.

“We’ve been in conversation with Martin (Chase) about Sam (Ellis) and Manny (Barroso) going to the next training so that they can get some help with painting shelters, renovating shelters and doing some of those pieces of work,” said Garcia.

She added, “The individuals that get approved to do off-site work, whether it is supervised or unsupervised, have to go through a specific set of certifications. They do not certify anybody who has had any violent crime offense or anybody who has an offense that would land them on the registry. Those individuals are prohibited from being certified to do work.”

“What we were told is most of the individuals will be low level offenders, people that have to do a few months for maybe drug or alcohol violations and usually are individuals that are within a very close timeline of being released,” Garcia continued.

She added that the agreement with IPI has gone through the city’s insurance agent and city attorney. The state insures the incarcerated individuals so they are not considered employees of the city.

The city also does not pay the money directly to the individuals but pays IPI. IPI keeps track of the work hours of the individuals and disperses the pay according to their rules and regulations.

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Olson said the incarcerated individuals who are certified to work, work hard for that opportunity.

He said it is a great opportunity for the individuals.

“These are good people. They just made the wrong choice at one time,” he added. “Most are trying to make money to pay the fines, but then again they’re trying to make money to get started when they get out.”

Asked if the work program was a seasonal option only, Garcia said she had not gotten into that detail with Martin Chase, if there is work that the individuals can do or would be interested in doing in the winter. Right now, it is seasonal work.

She added that she is in an email chain with five other communities that are in the geographical line from Rockwell City, to work on a way to lower transportation costs.

“We have to pay per loaded mile, so we’re trying to find a way where, if it is approved by all of our respective councils, that we can find similar days so that we can get one group of individuals, so maybe it’s a Thursday and Friday, but then Region XII only does one day of transportation, drops them off and picks them up, and they do all the transportation.”

Meals are sent with the individuals.

Garcia said the incarcerated individuals do not show up in orange jumpsuits. Olson added they wear orange jackets or pullovers.

The rules for the incarcerated individuals are strict, and city employees must also observe the rules of the IPI and the Department of Corrections. The incarcerated individuals can’t have access to tobacco, alcohol, cell phones or anything like that. If city workers would give items like that, the city would be in violation.

Garcia said as soon as the incarcerated individuals get back to Rockwell City, they are tested for nicotine, alcohol or any other substances, and if any substances are found, they would lose the privilege of going out to work.

Garcia said if the council is fine with the program, the city would like to start with the large, supervised group option to get the individuals to town to help with trees or street patching, fixing pieces of recreation trails and other types of work.

The individuals will be trained according to the type of work they will be doing.

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