The Clayton County Prison provides low cost labor across the spectrum of County Departments, Agencies, Water Authority and Clayton County municipalities by housing and working inmates from the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Inmates do a variety of jobs (many are skilled) that would be cost prohibitive at the current level if done by paid staff. The jobs include:

• Major renovation work and minor construction for county government and separate municipalities (City of Morrow, City of Lake City, City of Forest Park, and City of Riverdale), and the Clayton County Water Authority (all paying customers).
• Carpentry, plumbing, painting, electrical, HVAC work in county buildings.
• Cleaning of all county buildings.
• Cleaning and maintaining grounds and facilities in county parks.
• Collecting roadside refuse and clearing road rights of way, lawn maintenance at various county departments; paving roads, installing sidewalks, digging and clearing ditches and catch basins; clearing dangerous intersections of trees and brush; and responding to severe weather clearing requests.
• Operating landfill transfer station, metal separation point, chipper/shredder, heavy earthmoving equipment, and a recycling facility.
• Making and installing traffic signs, installing and maintaining signal equipment.
• Fueling vehicles at County Gas Station, and repairing vehicles at County Fleet Maintenance and Water Authority Garages.

The Prison’s operating capacity is 226 medium and minimum security inmates. Approximately 70% are minimum and can work under civilian supervision. The remaining are medium custody and work under Corrections Officers outside or inside the Prison.

Most inmates work in the public sector, that is, roads and right of ways, and in and around public buildings and real property. Most citizens are not aware that the county right of way extends from the curb to between 10-15 feet in their yards. We occasionally have to work in that area and elsewhere on private property, e.g., (1) By court order in the case of abandoned or foreclosed property), and (2) to correct drainage problems affecting the neighborhood. It is against Georgia law (GA Code 42-5-37) for any person to profit from inmate labor. Thus, we are scrupulous in avoiding unlawful situations. If you question a particular work project, call the Warden or Deputy Warden at (770) 473-5777 and someone will quickly meet you on site to look into the legitimacy of the work.

Some citizens are concerned when they see convicts working near their house or subdivision. We are working the least dangerous inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections, they are under trained supervision and they represent an optimization of your tax dollar. The full weight of the law enforcement system is available by radio and cellular phone were there to be a problem.

The County saves a net of $1,037,400 tax dollars by working inmate labor.