Looking for a solution to replace facility tiles, Hopkins County Jail, near Madisonville, Ky, turns a need into an opportunity. When head jailer Joe Blue opted for polished concrete, he recognized that the project could provide a job skill that inmates can use after their release.
According to a report in the Slippery Rock Gazette, inmates in the jail's Community Service program are now benefiting from training in the use of specific concrete polishing equipment from WerkMaster, under the supervision of Sgt. Billy Thomas and Deputy Donnie Barnett. Both received extensive training.
“Maybe they’ll get out of that lifestyle and realize there are other ways of making a living that don’t involve going to jail,” Thomas said. “So far it works out pretty well. For the most part, the guys, they are just happy to be out of the cell for eight hours a day. Most of them will give you a good hard days work.”
