70 °f
Portsmouth
71 ° Wed
72 ° Thu
75 ° Fri
Tuesday, May 30
Scioto County Daily News
  • Login
  • Register
SUBMIT TIP
  • News
    • Front Page
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Crime
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Feel Good
    • Food & Drinks
    • National
    • Opinion
    • Politics
    • Public Safety
    • Regional
    • All News
  • Obituaries
  • Mugshots
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Submit Anonymous Tip
  • Submit an Article
No Result
View All Result
Scioto County Daily News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Scioto County Daily News
No Result
View All Result

Probation Work Crews Get Back To Work

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
3 years ago
in Crime
garbage
ShareTweetEmail

Scioto County’s roadways are trashed. At the start of the year, rotating crews of six to eight workers hit the hot spots for dumping on a daily basis. Most of those workers came from work-release programs.  When COVID-19 hit, jails no longer allowed anyone in or out. In fact, many stopped taking inmates all together in most cases.  Police issued a summons to criminals instead of hauling them in. That left no way to get workers to the roads and no new probationers to swap work for jail time.

Trashed

Scioto County’s Roads suffered for it. Back in February, the last full month when inmates picked up trash, 8.7 tons of garbage was collected from roadways. Multiply that by the three months since the shutdown and there’s 27 tons worth of trash by the side of our roads.

RELATED POSTS

Man Indicted on 44 Counts of Endangering Children 

2 months ago

Sheriff Busts Human Trafficking Operation

2 months ago

Fights Break Out All Over the County

2 months ago

1st Grader Tragically Killed in 4-Wheeler Accident

2 months ago

Shawn Davis, Chief Probation Officer for Scioto County Common Pleas Court, decided he was tired of waiting around and wanted to do something about it. “We thought we would create our own work force and still provide a service to the community.”

Better Than Jail

Davis said the workforce is made up of people who would normally serve 3 to 10 days in jail. Instead, they get the option to serve their community.

“We’ve not been able to do anything since COVID,” Davis said. Using jail inmates is still not practical. “The jail would be worried about us going over there and picking people up.”

Safety Measures

He assured the public that safety precautions are in place. Inmates and county employees will wear masks and gloves. Social distancing is a priority. “We’re thinking with the van, we can take three to four out at a time and stagger them.”

Davis said it’s not too soon to start the program up again. “I don’t think we’re too early; a lot of people are going to be worried. I think we can safely run this program. It’s better than sitting around at home.”

A Second Chance

The non-violent offenders on the crews are mostly drug offenders. Davis said even those in trouble for theft or forgery and nearly always trace the root of their problems back to drugs.

“Not traffickers, but the people who are causing damage to themselves. In Ohio, that’s still a felony. They are low-level non-violent offenders.”

The program does more than beautify the county. Davis said it improves the relationship between POs and probationers. “When you spend several hours a day, everyday, with someone, you tend to learn more about that person. They open up better. They talk about their problems. I haven’t had anything negative come out of the program. It’s a win/win for probationers and for our community.

New Approach Changes Offenders’ Lives With Work & Counseling

In addition to picking up trash, last year probationers cut grass for townships and participated in projects to aid non-profits. This year, Davis said they will start with the trash.

“We’ll probably hit the roadways first. Then we’ll start fielding calls for cutting grass at cemeteries for townships. They have the equipment. We provide labor.” He said no non-profits had called for help yet, but he’s expecting the call.

“We’re getting better results out of doing this program. It teaches work ethics. It’s a win/win situation for us here at probation.”

Tags: CrimeFeaturedNewslettersafetyScioto County

TRENDING NOW

Byron Lee Stanley Jr

Byron Lee Stanley Jr., 22

March 18, 2021
COVID Work Anyway

“I Have COVID, but I’m Going To Work Anyway”

January 25, 2021

Busted! 9 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – 01/24/21 Scioto County Mugshots

January 24, 2021
Busted! 10 New Arrests in Ashland, Ky, Boyd County Mugshots 01/27/21

Busted! 10 New Arrests in Ashland, KY, Boyd County Mugshots 01/27/21

January 27, 2021

Larry Wells Jr., 46, of Portsmouth

March 1, 2021

ABOUT US

We are a grassroots team of local journalists on a mission to give our community up-to-the-second news and events for Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Western West Virginia. We believe progress inspires change and we believe our reporting has become the front-lines of Portsmouth, Ohio's comeback.

CATEGORIES

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Feel Good
  • Food & Drink
  • Local Business
  • National
  • Obituaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Public Safety
  • Regional
  • Strange But True
  • VIdeo

AREAS SERVED

  • Portsmouth
  • Wheelersburg
  • Minford
  • Waverly
  • Friendship
  • Ironton
  • West Union
  • Piketon
  • Coal Grove
  • South Point
  • Vanceburg
  • Grayson
  • South Shore
  • Greenup
  • Raceland
  • Ashland

SITE SEARCH

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Scioto County Daily News. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Video
    • Review // Preview
    • Local Music
    • View All Videos
  • Local Gas Prices
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise on SCDN
    • Submit a Tip

© 2021 Scioto County Daily News. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In