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January 19, 2010

A narrow view — 01/21/10

Inmates barred from Habitat

Anonymous The Daily Independent Tue Jan 19, 2010, 07:32 PM EST

From our vantage point, the Kentucky Department of Corrections failed to look at the broader picture in determining that inmates in the Mason County Detention Center can no longer help Habitat for Humanity build affordable homes for low-income families. Instead of looking at the long-term role Habitat can play in eliminating substandard housing in a community, the corrections department looked no further than the single Habitat residence inmates have been helping build for one family.

In the past few years, inmates in the Maysville jail have helped build five homes for Limestone Habitat for Humanity. For the past two houses, inmates were the primary source of labor, and Rick Litton, co-chairman of the Limestone Habitat, said “It will be very tough for us to survive without the help of skilled inmates.”

Mason County Jailer Gerald Curtis said he first learned inmates were not able to participate in the projects while attending a training session with the Department of Corrections. An instructor said Habitat or Humanity was not a qualified project.

That didn’t make sense to Curtis. After all, the Mason County Detention Center had received a $2,000 grant from the Department of Justice to help cover the cost of transportation and food for the inmates working on the Habitat houses. No wonder Curtis assumed the volunteer labor provided by the inmates was acceptable,

Curtis said the Department of Corrections said community service projects by inmates need to be done for the benefit of the entire community, and Habitat for Humanity’s projects benefit only one family.

In one regard, the department is right. Only one pre-selected family directly benefits of the construction of each Habitat house, and that family must supply many hours of “sweat equity” in helping to build their new home. Once completed, the house is sold to the family through a no-interest loan. However, the loan payments Habitat receives are used to build more homes that will benefit other low-income families. In our view, that means the scope of each Habitat project extends beyond just one home.

The Department of Corrections also expressed concern that contraband could be hidden or obtained at the construction site, but that can occur anytime inmates work outside the jail. The way to prevent it is through proper supervision, and Curtis said it has never been an issue while on the Habitat for Humanity sites.

We see other advantages to inmates helping to build Habitat houses: It provides them with skills that could help them secure good jobs once they are released from jail, and it creates good work habits for inmates.

While we disagree with the Department of Corrections’ narrow view of Habitat, our hope is that volunteers will come forward to assure Limestone Habitat is able to continue to build homes without the aid of inmates. After all, that’s the way Habitat works in communities throughout the world. One setback should not cause the demise of a good program. In the past few years, inmates in the Maysville jail have helped build five homes for Limestone Habitat for Humanity. For the past two houses, inmates were the primary source of labor, and Rick Litton, co-chairman of the Limestone Habitat, said “It will be very tough for us to survive without the help of skilled inmates.”

Mason County Jailer Gerald Curtis said he first learned inmates were not able to participate in the projects while attending a training session with the Department of Corrections. An instructor said Habitat or Humanity was not a qualified project.

That didn’t make sense to Curtis. After all, the Mason County Detention Center had received a $2,000 grant from the Department of Justice to help cover the cost of transportation and food for the inmates working on the Habitat houses. No wonder Curtis assumed the volunteer labor provided by the inmates was acceptable,

Curtis said the Department of Corrections said community service projects by inmates need to be done for the benefit of the entire community, and Habitat for Humanity’s projects benefit only one family.

In one regard, the department is right. Only one pre-selected family directly benefits of the construction of each Habitat house, and that family must supply many hours of “sweat equity” in helping to build their new home. Once completed, the house is sold to the family through a no-interest loan. However, the loan payments Habitat receives are used to build more homes that will benefit other low-income families. In our view, that means the scope of each Habitat project extends beyond just one home.

The Department of Corrections also expressed concern that contraband could be hidden or obtained at the construction site, but that can occur anytime inmates work outside the jail. The way to prevent it is through proper supervision, and Curtis said it has never been an issue while on the Habitat for Humanity sites.

We see other advantages to inmates helping to build Habitat houses: It provides them with skills that could help them secure good jobs once they are released from jail, and it creates good work habits for inmates.

While we disagree with the Department of Corrections’ narrow view of Habitat, our hope is that volunteers will come forward to assure Limestone Habitat is able to continue to build homes without the aid of inmates. After all, that’s the way Habitat works in communities throughout the world. One setback should not cause the demise of a good program.

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