Pulaski County wants inmates to be rewarded for community service

PULASKI (WSLS 10) - Pulaski County leaders are asking the state legislature to bring back a resource Virginia counties have not had since the 1990s.

It is called A Day for a Day. This means that for each day a county inmate does community service, they get one day taken off their sentence. This would apply only to non-violent offenders, which make up the majority of Pulaski County inmates.

In the last two years, the inmates have already saved the county hundreds of thousands of dollars by doing school repair projects.

County leaders think that the added incentive of less time would increase participation, and therefore boost labor savings. They said it will also save the county money in jail costs, because working inmates would serve less time.

"We want those inmates that are behaving themselves, that have skills and trades, to be able to come out and work for the county, because we have plenty of work to do," said board of supervisors chairman Andy McCready.

Pulaski County leaders said they have spoken with a number of state leaders about this issue, and they are optimistic about its chances of passing. The legislative session begins in January.