Pasco Sheriff's Office
Inmate Labor Program

The mission of all of the inmate labor programs is to teach inmates the proper safety and common industry practices along with the principles of positive work ethics in an effort to enhance the reintegration of the inmates into society. All supplies including the start up costs of all programs are obtained from federal grant funds and sustained through inmate welfare fund.

The Pasco Sheriff's Office has initiated a number of programs designed to save taxpayer's dollars, raise the work ethic of selected inmates and give them a productive way to spend their court-ordered sentences. The Inmate Labor Section consists of four units, Inmate Labor, Department of Transportation, Facility Maintenance and Operation Payback.

Inmate Labor is responsible for the overall cosmetic maintenance of Detention Central, the upkeep of the facility grounds and the supervision of the assigned programs. This unit supervises the following programs:

• Agriculture
• Hydroponics
• Swine
• Cattle
• Ornamental Plant
• Grounds Maintenance

Department of Transportation has a contracted inmate work squad, which provides for the cleaning of state roadways throughout Pasco County.

The Operation Payback Program is designed to have a defendant, once sentenced, "give back" (community service) to the citizens of this county, for the crime they have committed in our county. This program is designed to have the defendant serve two days a week at a Pasco County Government work site, completing work as directed by the office supervisor.

Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation (DOT) contract obligation for the agency is from December 2007 through November 2008. Inmates cleaned 524.5 miles (5896 acres) of Pasco County roadways, resulting in the removal of 58,200 lbs of debris. The contract obligation from the DOT is to pay Pasco Sheriff's Office at a rate of $9.00 per acre cleaned for this billing year. The DOT reimbursed the Sheriff's Office $53,064.00

Operation Payback Program

The Operation Payback Program had an average of 81 defendants participating in the program each month

of the year. The Operation Payback Defendants completed 61,760 hours of labor for Pasco County. These hours benefited 27 facilities located throughout Pasco County, as well as many special community events. This was a cost savings to our taxpayers of $493,462.40 at an employee hourly rate of $7.99. The Operation Payback Program also saves a conservative estimate of $64.00 each day on the cost to house an inmate in the detention facility. This provides an additional cost savings of $497,664.00. We have combined the savings of the OPB labor and the housing cost savings, which yielded a savings to the citizens of Pasco County of $991,126.40.

Inmate Labor

Agricultural Program

The Agricultural Program is an inmate based, "conventional" garden, which consists of a 3 acre tract. The garden has provided the Detention Culinary Unit in 2008 with the following yield, 36,851 pounds for a savings of $22,029.63.

Average Costs Per Month:

Fertilizers....................$48.34
Pesticides....................$50.00
Miscellaneous seeds.....$24.50
Tool Replacements.......$16.67

Total Costs Per Month $139.51

So far for 2009 the Agricultural Farm has produced 77,158 pounds of produce for a combined savings in our food budget of $39,844.92.

Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponics Program

The Hydroponics Program has a capacity of 9,660 plants. While in operation, harvesting is conducted five days a week. Each day 460 heads of lettuce are harvested. Each head of lettuce produced provides a savings of approximately $1 to the Culinary Unit. Annually, this program produces a savings of $119,600.

Start up costs to repair the tornado damaged 72' x 95' green house structure including irrigation and electrical was $36,0123.02. The original cost of the structure was $109,000.00.

Vertical Drip Verti-gro Hydroponics Program

In 2008, the bureau started a new inmate-based hydroponics system. The new system is a vertical drip system, which requires less space than the conventional system. The Vertical Drip Verti-gro system has a capacity of 4,000 plants. This hydroponics system provided the Culinary Unit in 2008 with 1,912 heads of Rex lettuce, wholesaling at $1.49 per head. As a result, the Culinary Unit realized a savings of $2,848.88.

Since January 2009, we have grown beef steak tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Bib lettuce, Romaine lettuce, bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, collards, eggplant, thyme, basil, parsley, garlic and sage.

Start up costs of $21,757.46 included one 42' X 80' shade house, plant system irrigation, electrical and chemical dispersing area.

Swine Program

The Swine Program is an inmate-based program which raises swine to be infused into our Culinary Unit. The bureau has an arrangement with the Manatee Sheriff's Office to process our swine. The bureau sent 67 pigs to the Manatee Sheriff's Office in 2008, which yielded 10,244 pounds of processed pork. The pork was infused into our Culinary Unit for a savings of $13,113.66.

Currently there are 120 pigs on the farm. Year to date for 2009, the swine program has produced 6,325 pounds of meat thus far for a savings of $15,812.50. The average costs per month include feed, supplies and veterinarian costs for a total of $546.94. The start up cost of the program was $44,763.76 and included four 16' X50' pen structures with water and electrical.

Cattle Program

In 2009, the bureau created a Cattle Program with 27 cows on the property. There are approximately 45 acres of grazing land used for the program. This program has been augmented with donations from local farmers who have donated hay, cows and expertise. The start up costs were $6,256.06 including the fencing in three separate pastures, water supply and shelters. The costs per month for feed, medications and veterinarian fees total $242.00.

Ornamental Plant Program

The bureau created an Ornamental Plant program in 2009. The plants will be grown within a grow house on-site at the farm. The program will be used to augment and enhance the grounds maintenance program and conduct horticulture training for the inmate. The future plans for the program may include sales to the public to generate funds to sustain and build our inmate labor programs.

Start up costs were $7,218.47 which included one 25' X 36' green house, eight 4' X12' plant tables, irrigation and electrical.

Grounds Maintenance

The Grounds Maintenance Program was designed to train inmates for potential employment upon release from incarceration. The program instructs inmates in the proper handling and use of common commercial landscaping equipment to include preventative maintenance and servicing of the equipment. Additionally, the program is used to maintain the grounds of the facility, thereby creating a savings to the citizens of Pasco County.