News 12 at eleven o'clock -- Wednesday, August 18, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- It's a plan that will save Richmond County Schools more than $200,000 a year, and involves using prison inmates to clean up around schools.

Richmond County School Board members voted to hire an inmate detail to help with RCSS facility maintenance. It is not a new idea, but after receiving a 7-3 in Tuesday’s school board meeting, it will now be put into effect.

But some parents are concerned about what it means for their child’s safety.

Teacher Monique Duggins is working long hours to get ready for her students. As a teacher at Langford Middle School, she says she is responsible for all the kids there, especially her 12-year-old son.

That's why she says she doesn’t like the thought of having inmates working on school grounds.

“I am a little concerned,” she says. “Can you guarantee me, as a parent, that my child won’t get hurt? That's my main concern.”

Last month, News 12 visited the Augusta Correctional Institution as board members considered the idea and posed a similar question to Deputy Warden Jimmie Blackburn. His response?

“I can't guarantee anything.”

And now that it is approved, teachers and parents – like Ms. Duggins – still have questions.

“Are we talking about hard or white collar criminals? Are they going to be here when my kids are here?” she asks.

“We're talking about low level inmates, which the department of corrections classifies as minimum security,” Blackburn said during July’s interview.

The district will also implement strict security measures. Much of the work will be done in fenced-in areas, like football stadiums or retention ponds. Inmates working in those areas will be kept behind locked gates.

Officials say the inmates will be kept away from school buildings, working mainly to clean up drainage ditches and fence lines or picking up around football stadiums after a game.

“Not being in close proximity to the children, I think that helps to make it a bit easier to swallow,” Duggins says.

In most cases, the principal would be notified ahead of time, and if any students enter the area, inmates will immediately board the bus and leave.

It all comes down to saving money, which Monique Duggins says is a good thing.

“As my board, I have to trust in them and trust that they know what they're doing,” she says.

The crew will consist of six men and one employee working a 40-hour week. A contract is currently in the works, and officials hope to get the crew in place within the next few weeks.