Comments on: County Provides Slave Labor

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:37:38 +0000

See SILD programs. It is all slave labor, and somewhere, buried in ISC (section 16 I think) is a statute that allows slavery.
Idaho is a police state, at every turn, corner, and opportunity.
The SILD program ‘allows’ the inmate to venture outside of the ‘box’ while charging the inmate $20/day.
Meanwhile, parole ‘officers’ who are under contract (Yes. Ada County outsourced parole officers) receive $50/month for pushing a button on their computer screen.
Last time I checked, this was called robbery … by county ‘officials.’

By: Joe in Boise

Joe in Boise — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:20:15 +0000

I understand the concern of the Guardian and others however, coming from a background in juvenile corrections, I feel that we cannot dismiss the potential value of the real world vocational experience that these kids get at no cost to the taxpayers.

Learning to work and the responsibility that comes with answereing to an employer, often a new kind of authority figure for a kid and one that he will most likely be dealing with for the rest of his life, can be an invaluable experience for any young person. Lets look at the big picture here.

The REAL problem with juvenile corrections in this state is the “Good Ol’ Boy” system of management and promotions and the cronyism. The Counties (Both Ada and Canyon), in my opinion, do a much better job at serving our misguided youth than the State does.

By: JJ

JJ — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:09:47 +0000

I think it is a good idea. As long as each business has an opportunity to particpate and no one business gets exclusive free labor. Let’s face it having cons pick up trash on the highway and stamp license plates fails to improve the persons condition and they usually end up back in jail. Put them in a real work enviornment where customer service expereince is gained, and some skills that can actually lead to a paycheck. I bet many of these individuals end up working in retail afterward. Kudos to these businesses for giving these kids a chance, most businesses say no as they are worried about brining in a criminal element and assuming they will have thefts or vandalism.

By: dog

dog — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:37:48 +0000

Nemo, what part of not available to everybody don’t you understand?

By: Nemo

Nemo — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:17:03 +0000

Brat, and others….

I thought outsourcing goverment service was the answer to goverment waste? At least thats what I heard on here in relation to other services arguably much more vital, such as public safety.

Anyway, Dog…You make some good points. There are very few things I am absolutely convinced about, but I do have strong opinions from time to time. I do think your discussion has some merit, except:

1- I doubt teenagers sweeping the floor are going to effect the bottom line…significantly enough to put one buiseness under or one over the top. Maybe its my limited experiance, but we arnt talking a large pool, or tons of labor they are doing. After all, if the labor they were doing was that important to your buisnesses bottom line, would you trust it to a bunch of comm. service kids?

2- If we both had stores, and you had the kids…and I didnt, then it would be beholden to me to ask for some myself. If I met the requirements (what ever they may be) and still wasnt offered my own lil breakfast club to do menial labor, then there would be an unfair advantage. If I just sat around and watched your kids do work and didnt secure kids of my own, then I must accept the result , intangable as it may or may not be.

I guess my point is I dont see the big deal, as long as the areas are safe, and agencies involved have them WORK, and if its free to one its free to all (while supplies last).

ANYTHING is better than them sitting around watching TV, and if we dont have to pay a county employee to watch them…even better.

Just my street level thoughts.

By: pup

pup — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:09:44 +0000

Brat1 is right. Perhaps we need to look at the meaning of “community service”. What does the Ada County juvenile parole office think community service means?

Does community service mean I can get the kids over to rake my leaves, mow my grass and weed my garden? When I get done with those kids they will know something about being a home owner. They will not want to smoke pot ever again when I’m done with them. I’ll save money too because I won’t have to pay a yard service company or the smart mouth kid next door (won’t work for less than $10.00/hr) that never finishes the job, or take the risk of hiring some illegal Mexicans hangin out by Lowes looking for quick work.

And if the community service kids don’t show up for work I’ll call the cops and bust em again. Hey I’m part of the community and I want my free service. Where do I sign up?

By: Brat1

Brat1 — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:16:47 +0000

Seems that the County and city both would rather out-source things like this, rather than deal with it and save taxpayer funds!
With the Boise mayor wanting to spend taxpayer monies to clean up graffiti , why wouldn’t this be a great community service job for juvenile offenders ? I’m also sure that many other community jobs like working in parks,etc. exist.
I think that the idea of community service is supposed to be a learning process.

By: Sharon Ullman

Sharon Ullman — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 14:47:36 +0000

Grumpy Ole Guy wrote, “County jail is used for the ‘less serious crimes’; it is not prison, thus the option of work-release / community service.” Just to clarify, that statement is true, but only to a point.

BEFORE those really bad guys (and gals) are sentenced to one of the facilities south of town, they may be held in the Ada County Jail. Some of the folks in there, being held near the Boise Towne Square Mall, have committed serious crimes. Thanks to the hard work of dedicated Sheriff’s employees, jailbreaks have been limited.

The Sheriff’s Inmate Labor Detail (SILD) and work-release program options are NOT available to everyone assigned to the Ada County Jail. Those are sentencing options available to the judges, but are not always appropriate, depending on the severity of the crime(s) committed.

By: grumpy ole guy

grumpy ole guy — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 07:02:58 +0000

County jail is used for the “less serious crimes”; it is not prison, thus the option of work-release / community service. The rationale is that the “criminal” has offended the Community and therefore can make restitution TO THE COMMUNITY. Such service requires supervision and is often limited by that lack. For profit operations must never be confused with community activities.

Something is seriously awry if this accusarion is correct. How do we demand an investigation?

By: Sharon Ullman

Sharon Ullman — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 06:26:34 +0000

Adult misdemeanor probation in and of itself IS a private profit center. Guardian, don’t you recall the big fuss several years ago (mid-90’s?) about how Ada County had awarded the contract to run a privatized adult misdemeanor probation program to a former bail bondsperson, Nancy Cladis, who had been the girlfriend of Trial Court Administrator John Traylor, without a proper bidding process?

The County took a step backward, put out a Request For Proposals, and Cladis ended up with the contract anyway. To the best of my knowledge, she STILL has it. Traylor retired, moved to Arizona, then came back to run the County’s Welfare Department. He has since taken over the County’s Development Services Department. I remember the man as a capable administrator, although the jury is still out about how good a job he does running Development Services.

Adult misdemeanor probation is something the County ought to do itself. If the private sector can do it and make money, then the County (and taxpayers) ought to benefit from the revenue source, or the cost to probationers (who have to pay for the “privilege”) ought to be reduced.