Overview
The Work Center houses inmates for various programs for the purpose of utilizing inmate labor to perform a variety of tasks throughout the community. The utilization of inmate labor has proven to be effective in saving tax dollars that would otherwise be spent on paid laborers. It has also provided job training for inmates in certain skilled positions and given the inmates a means of positive re-enforcement. Work Force, Work Release, and Home Electronic Monitoring allow low risk, non-violent offenders the ability to serve their sentences while maintaining employment in the community. These inmates pay fees for room and board, fines and court costs, child support and other critical financial responsibilities.
This section is a joint effort between the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, Public Works, Storm Water, and Parks and Recreation. Inmates assigned to these crews are under the direct supervision of Deputy Sheriffs’ who act as crew leaders, making sure assigned duties are performed. The crews are trained by Public Works and become certified in the use of certain equipment. Public Works Crews maintain common areas, clean storm water ditches, cut medians, cut parks and recreation sites, perform debris removal, and much more.
This program provides an offender with the opportunity to serve their sentence while maintaining employment, meeting their financial obligation such as child support, and fines and fees associated with the program.
HEM is a home confinement program given as an alternative to conventional incarceration. The screening process is in-depth and the sentencing judge and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office also have a hand in the determining factors of an inmate’s acceptance into this program.
