Yes, every jail has trustees, or most anyway, but the program at the PCSO is unique in that inmates are not only picking up litter, but they have learned skills that will help them in the future. On a recent visit, the trustees showed off some of the new skills they have gained.
Building guitars was never their goal when they were arrested, but here they are, holding guitars they built. They had to learn how to bend wood, build their own form, build them out of scrap wood, and frets were built using metal from old road signs. Nothing goes to waste in this workshop.
The Adirondack chairs they built were made totally from pallet wood. The inmates take pride in their work, whether it is building chairs, designing guitars or napping arrowheads. Some of their work is donated to fund raising events to raise money when someone needs help with medical bills for instance.
Trustees played a large part in rebuilding the Linden Library when it suffered flood damage from a broken water heater, back in November 2020. They saved the County Government thousands of dollars, and left there with a sense of making a difference to a great project.
This story was featured in the Perry County Library website and can be viewed here.
Other contributions to the County has been to build the cabinets for the Senior Citizens Center. They are beautiful and enjoyed by everyone who can come to eat a good meal once a day. (Right now the meals are carryout only due to COVID-19 restrictions.) The list could go on because these men are doing something for the community that in turn gives them pride in themselves.
There are several ways the trustees contribute to Perry County. And we are all grateful to have them help us out.
Litter Pickup
The inmates will help Linden and Lobelville city crews with trash collection, and participate in the litter program. They also participate at the Transfer Station, helping Mayor Carroll.
Another program is picking up litter on the highways and byways of Perry County. There is way too much litter! And we should all be ashamed of the results of throwing stuff out the window. Not everyone does this, but it certainly makes an impression on visitors to Perry County. Have you ever gone down the highway when litter pickup is going on? Then tried to count the number of bags of litter? Litter that shouldn't have been there in the first place?
Firewood for Elderly or Disabled
Free firewood is available for pickup during the winter months for the elderly or disabled. The firewood comes from storm damage. Road Superintendent Robert Dedrick notifies the Sheriff's Office of the availability of wood, and the inmates harvest it for the elderly or disabled residents of Perry County. The inmates are not allowed to go on private property for any reason, so the wood must come from roadsides or government property.
There is an application form on this website that can be filled out to get on the approved list. When you arrive at our office location on Bethel Road, a Sheriff's Office employee will open the yard where the firewood is stored so long as the name is on the approved list . Call us to let us know when you are coming. Firewood is limited is to two pickups per month.
Graveyard Cutting
The inmates cut the grass at 74 cemeteries in Perry County. It started with cemeteries that had depleted funds for grass cutting and upkeep. Annual Decoration Day doesn't happen so much anymore. Have you ever tried to mow a cemetery? It is difficult with so many headstones in a scatter pattern. Donations are gladly accepted. This helps to cover the cost of gas, weed whacker cords, mower blades and so on. Mower blades?? Yes! You have rocks in these cemeteries and mower blades break. This is a five-days-a-week program. Call us if you would like to get a quote from us for your cemetery.
Woodshop
Tennessee Corrections Institute sign made by PCSO woodshop trustees, sign is to be used in front of TCI Nashville Headquarters. Pictured are Bill Bass, Deputy Director, and Sheriff Nick Weeks. The woodshop has become the most popular program so far. Since its inception, the inmates have been able to make kitchen cabinets for the Senior Citizens' Center, fix the flooring in the Linden Library after a major flood, made Adirondack chairs for an auction benefit. The inmates have learned to make graveyard markers for deceased pets, build guitars, and more. All the trail signs at Mousetail State Park were made by the inmates. For auctions and fundraisers they also made box turkey calls, among other items.
Sheriff Weems asked a county native who knows how to knap arrowheads if he was willing to come to the jail to work with the inmates, teaching them how to knap arrowheads from locally sourced materials. The material came from the Buffalo River, right here in Perry County. It's not easy, but over time the trustees are getting better and better with their arrowhead skills, as is demonstrated in the case, below.
Most of the men and women in the County Jail want to be productive while serving their sentence. It makes time go faster, and they may even learn a new skill that will be more tempting than whatever drove them into the arms of the law in the first place. It isn't easy to get into the Trustee Program, or it could be said it's very easy if you are willing to demonstrate a willingness to do your best.
