Posted by flylo (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 4:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why let these convicted criminals out at all. They should be doing hard time for there crimes against society. We should not be hauling their butts all over the Parish, Looks like they are making a country club of the prison system.
Just like the convicts that mow the highway right-of -ways. Everywhere else there are contractors doing the mowing for a living. Not here, you have convicts.
As a victim to home invasion I resent seeing those convicted dope headed criminals outside their prison walls, mingeling with us honest tax paying citizens.

Posted by Hunter (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 5:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Flylo, I think you're out of line.

It's not like these inmates are rapists and murderers.

Whatever they are, they're making the city better by maintaining the lawns, buildings, roads, etc.

Why in the WORLD would you have a problem with that?

Posted by papajeff (Jeff McClure) on October 23, 2007 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

flylo:

You're letting your ignorance show. These prisoners are doing useful work, which is far better than sitting in a cell stewing over being locked up. I have hired some of these guys to work for me and believe me, they work hard. They have been incarcerated many years, and are getting close to release. The guys I know have used this time to get their heads straight and have determined to never stray back into the situations that got them locked away in the first place. Everbody deserves a chance to get their life in order and get back into society. Work release programs are a benefit to both the inmate and to society as a whole.

Oh, and as far as contractors cutting grass on highways, that is pretty rare these days. It is far more cost effective to use inmate labor than to contract with a landscape company and most local governments do just that. Of course, you may want to pay higher taxes to cover the cost... And if you think these folks are having it easy, maybe you ought to try working beside them for a day or two like I have. They work hard.

Open up your mind and have a little compassion for your fellow man - give them a chance.

Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hunter and papajeff, RIGHT ON!!!! Some people want it both ways -- they complain about housing offenders "on taxpayers' money" and say they should be working for their keep! Then, when they are put to work, they complain about them putting contractors out of work -- whom, I may add, are being paid with our tax dollars. So, please, stand back and reassess your position. Everyone deserves a second chance. These offenders are really "paying their debt to society" literally.

Ya'll have a good day!

Posted by olderthandirt (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If they have not committed a violent crime, they should be doing work, rather sitting around.My objection is to be in a movie rental store and have a Concordia Parish deputy loading up with videos for the prisoners to watch.They are in jail..they should not be entertained!

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh Lawd, olderthandirt. They get to watch rented movies? Whatever happened to cable?

flylo, I feel so bad about you being the victim of home invasion. I might have the same outlook as you if I had suffered that. But I have to take the side of the inmates in this post. I feel if they sit around all day with nothing constructive to do (and I'm not talking lifting weights, either), then their minds may tend to wander. Then they'll get anxious and feel worthless to society. I don't want a criminal released at the end of his time with a feeling of worthlessness. Give him a chance to start over in life. These working inmates are probably less likely to "revisit" the jailhouse in this situation.

Posted by bear45 (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Look at it this way sometimes after a hard days work u like to kick back and enjoy a movie or too......I have to agree with the most of you when a prisoner is allowed to be a trustee he has earned it, you just don't let any one of them become a trustee.. And also it is good that they can get out and work in the parish. Look at it like this the parish doesn't have to pay someone to do the landscaping for them. Also Vidalia once you cross that bridge it always is immaculate there is usually a prisoner or two working there, the grounds around the riverwalk are always clean and orderly what's wrong with a prisoner doing it? Most of the prisoners in the center between Vidalia and Ferriday are not violent ones and most of them have a short time remaining on their sentence. Let them work in peace..................

Posted by flylo (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I can understand a half way house, but these are convicts that are suppose to be removed from society because they can not live by the rules of our society.
Had my wife and I been awaken by the home invaders I am sure they would not have been just dope heads looking for easy money, but volent criminals mudering us had we gotten in their way in their state of mine.
As far as tax money goes.Ever time you send out a gang of these convicts on work detail it takes a guard, and a van that we taxpayers must pay far. In a locked prison less guards can watch more inmates at one time.
Looks like some little old man would love having a job leaning on a dust mop and doing odd jobs around the convention ,and welcoming center. Instead of visitors seing those dirty orange jump suits.
Just leave the Parish you will see the contractors doing the mowing of our State , and Federal highways.
Yes I might be out of line with my views, but I don't see why I'm showing my ignorance with my feelings on this issue. If You are going to spend our tax money trying to help these convicts get them teachers and some kind of drug program they have to attend to help them get off the stuff, and learn how to live in our society.
If they are going to clean the parish ditches of weeds, and litter have them in chains doing it. Don't make a parade out of it, letting them wave to all the passing motorist, looking like they are having one big party.

Posted by kpage (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Was your home really invaded by criminals on work release?

Posted by leroyisme (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There are several aspects of the prison system that many people don't understand. For one the work crews around the parish do more than just help the community. Have you ever heard the phrase "idle hands are the devils playground." That is all too true in the prison system where we are under-staffed, under-paid, and mostly under-educated. If the inmates do nothing all day but sit in a cell then they have too long to think about fighting each other, the officers, or attempting escape. If they are kept busy they not only have less time to think about those things, but they also have a reason for good behavior. "Work Release" is an all together separate aspect. I have no idea what goes through those idiots heads the way they screw up, but they have never had problems from the work crew inmates.

Posted by flylo (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

No just plan dope heads looking for easy items to pawn, but all had been caught, and gone through our parish criminal system in the past.

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To me it is better to see them out there working than the tax payers money having to pay someone else to do it..The tax payers are paying for them to be in jail so why not let them work??

flylo so the ones that broke into your home wasn't anyone on work release?

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Work release is different than the inmates doing county or parish clean up. Work release is when you are released from jail to work your regular job and then report back to spend weekends in jail. Road work, government buildings, civic center, etc, cleaning is done by inmates that have to return to jail nightly, after working during the day and I for one believe it helps promote individual responsibility in inmates. I have never heard that anyone on work release or city, county or parish crew to cause trouble. They are very well monitored by the system. I appauld the system for this endeavor.

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To explain work release further: You must satisfy the system by remaining at the jail for the length of days the judge orders . Say a 100 days and you are released to work. You have to spend however many weekend days in jail to make up those days. It could go on for quite some months. But that is good too b/c it's the weekends when you get in most of the trouble.

Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

that is one kind of work release. The way I understand the work release program in Concordia Parish, it utilizes prisoners who are like one year away from release and have a job skill. They are housed in a bldg on Hwy 84. Individuals and businesses can check them out for up to 16 hours a day and they get paid for the work, but not as much as they could make on the outside doing the same work. The money goes through the system and they can send some home to their families, but all is documented. They are routinely screened upon returning to the facility and they do not want to mess up because it makes them do more time. A lot of folks get jobs done that they could not otherwise afford to have done. The prisoners have to use this money to pay some on their housing, their otc medicine, their dental, and a fee for being taken to jobs. I have used this program and think it is good for the prisoners and good for the people utilizing them.

Posted by Annebelle (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"What Would Jesus Do"? Jesus takes care of all your needs; inside and out of jail. We are all the same in His eyes...sinners and fall short of the Glory of God. People, we are all people and we need to learn to live together in Peace and with a whole lot of Love. Help your fellow man.
It doesn't say..."help your fellow man, if he's not in jail". Open your Hearts...it's getting close to Thanksgiving and Christmas...show a little Spirit, maybe give them a gift of good reading material instead of a movie. But all in all, God always gives ALL. Ask and yea shall receive sayeth the Lord our God. Amen. I personally think the work team is a Wonderful job for the inmates and there's probably a whole lot more they could be doing too if all you tax payers out there would help the Officers think of things and be possitive with what they're doing now. Help, don't hurt the situation. God Bless You All... :o) be happy.

Posted by rusure (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 4:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

you people must have not heard about the one who stole his employers(Concordia Lumber) truck and went to Tallulah last week? huh?
it was kept very quiet because of the election. Randy Maxwell did not alert the public and that is wrong.

there have been several escape and steal vehicles to try and get away over the years.

Just take you one to your house and leave him if you think they are so great!
And Annabell, that all sounds so sweet, it shows you know nothing about criminals, dear. Keep praying, they didn't get there because they missed prayer meeting. You are a perfect target for one of those guys.

Posted by lsutiger (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Randy hear your buy vehicle out of the parish from Mark Clark that's kind of stupid you taking our tax money and purchasing vehicles from Waller Singer in Winnsboro I hear he loaned you a van to carry around voters. I want buy another vehicle from Mark Clark and I ask all the Lipsey supports to please do the same.

Post a comment (Terms

Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on October 23, 2007 at 11:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Someone once recently stated on the N.D. forum from the Natchez side about Natchez needing some upkeep touching up maintenance..."MDOT meet MDOC", as a solution for the shortage in maintenance assistance for the beautification of the highway medians within the city limits. That, I felt, was a wonderful suggestion for using the redily available resources in a wise manner. Some law violators who are in jail are in there for non-violent crimes and using their physical selves in a useful manner to better our communities is a wise thing. They are already costing the taxpayers plenty of bucks for their incarceration, so why not use the resources that are already being paid for to help our streets and roadsides look good?

Posted by bear45 (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 12:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The ones in Vidalia that are on the work release program are in the State's custody not the parish..most of the ones at Adams County are the county's responsibility, there may be some in there that are in the custody of the state but they are most likely violent crimes and violent crimes are not allowed out to work on this program..If I am not mistaken Mississippi used to have a program where they (being the pisoners) could work like the ones in Concordia Parish and it has been stopped

Posted by csguidry (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with both sides. I work in the DOC and can tell you right now this is why the ciminal system is so huge. They get better treatment than we do. They can kill someones family and then work within the system and make as much as I do... anyone who thinks that is fair has got their head screwd on wrong!

These prisoners in most all jails and prisons lay on their butts all day they cannot be forced to work and had they gotten a job and did the right thing they would not be in jail so why should we feel guilty for something they did to their own self?

This is why the jails have a revolving door on it because they have became vacation resorts for inmates who live off taxpayers. They say they dont have rights and this that and the other but I am telling you first hand they get alot more rights than you would think and eat better than we do.As long as society keeps this frame of mind that they are treated poorly and so forth this system will never change they are running games with everyone to get their way and so far it has worked. The public need to wake up before this becaome a bigger problem than it already has!

Posted by skeeter (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Looks like a bunch of Hillary Liberals on here to me. Maybe after she wins, and we have to let all the drug dealers and dead beat dads out of prison, folks will wake up. They are ccriminals just like the rapist and killers.
All these jail birds need to stay behind bars until the morning after their last day of sentence. Then maybe they will wake up and see jails/prisons are not country clubs where you can hang out with your new found buddies and watch movies all day. If they are going to watch movies have them watch educational/historical movies.
I don't recall my teachers or parents giving me reducded time to water window plants or other duties when ordered to sit in the corner for something I did that wasn't right. You learn real fast to straigthen up and fly right.
There is a company right here in Concordia Parish that mows and cuts ROW's for the US Corps. of Engineer, bet they would love to see some competition from the free convict labor.

Posted by Bosslady (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

flylo:
I just want to comment on your comment. I am sorry that your home was invaded but these men are not the ones that did it to you. True they have committed crimes but everyone deserves a second chance, right? Most times you do not even know that these men are prisoners. They have more respect and courtesy, than some of us that are not in prison. Do you know these men work for the money they make on work release? There is one fast food chain in Vidalia that has a work release inmate there. He only has four months left. Do you know that he has been working almost a month straight with no days off? Is that fair to him because he is in jail. He is supposed to work until 11:00a.m. everyday but do you know there are days when he doesn't leave until after 5, this is after being at work since 4:30 that morning. Every person that has been to jail is not a dope dealer, murder or rapist. You really don't know these individuals situation. Even though you've had a bad experience, I bet you don't treat that person that has been to jail or prison the way that you are leaving comments on this site.
Also you made these comments:Yes I might be out of line with my views, but I don't see why I'm showing my ignorance with my feelings on this issue. If You are going to spend our tax money trying to help these convicts get them teachers and some kind of drug program they have to attend to help them get off the stuff, and learn how to live in our society.
If they are going to clean the parish ditches of weeds, and litter have them in chains doing it. Don't make a parade out of it, letting them wave to all the passing motorist, looking like they are having one big party.

It is not the taxpayers money that is paying these individuals. On work release they have to pay 5 dollars each way and then they have to pay room and board. I can't argue what your opinion but.........you should look into things a little further before making such offensive comments.

Posted by fonkeytowngirl (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bosslady:

I agree with you. The situation should be looked into further before nasty comments are made about it. I feel that these men have made a mistake in life just like everyone else has. Everyone else's mistake may have not landed them in jail but they have made a mistake and that's all that counts. No human is perfect and there are times in life where people are vulnerable and make the wrong decisions. These people should not be tortured constantly for these mistakes especially if they have shown that they have learned from it. The workers have all met the criteria for being trustees and that says a lot when you are in a place where there are lots of people and ways that can cause you all types of people. Being able to avoid this says a lot about these men. They are not all bad people and I know that all of them are not great either but for those that are we should give them a second chance to prove themselves and show that they are capable of functioning in society. I don't approve of what they have done but I don't think we should put them down either. These men go through a lot of rules in order to be able to participate in these types of privileges and that should be looked at also. I don't like the idea that they are "renting" movies for inmates to watch in the regular jail but if the ones that are on work release put up the money for their own movies then I would think that's it's okay for them to be able to do this.

Posted by timnoklahoma (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just a little info for EVERYBODY---click on Isutiger (9:40 PM) and read all 15 of his comments. He SAID he is a graduate of Concordia Parish and he is at LSU now. It sounds like he is about 9 years old by the way his post is written!!!I like to know who I am reading and who to ignore.

Posted by astrid (anonymous) on October 24, 2007 at 7:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey tim. Was that a riot or what???