If approved by the Legislature, selected penitentiary inmates will be able to complete their sentences at the Nebraska Department of Corrections Work Ethic Camp in McCook and earn earlier releases.

Bob Houston, Department of Correctional Services Directors, along with Deputy Directors Larry Wayne and Frank Hopkins unveiled the plan Thursday at the Work Ethic Camp Community Involvement Committee.

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The plan hinges on legislative approval of a bill the Department of Corrections will submit this year. If approved, the Parole Board would "hand-pick" minimum security inmates being released within a year and considered "highly motivated" to complete the four-month program at Work Ethic Camp, Houston said.

"This is a win-win situation for the department and taxpayers," he said. With state prisons swelling at 140 percent capacity, the transfer of inmates would fill about 25 empty beds at the Work Ethic Camp, which translates to 75 beds per year with its four-month program.

It won't relieve overcrowding completely, he said, but with some facilities nearly double-bunked, "25 beds are very valuable."

He estimated the transfer of inmates would cut down on costs of penitentiary housing and take advantage of the rehabilitation programs at the camp.

"This would get the bullseye off the work ethic camp, fill empty beds and merge our resources," he said. The 100-bed, minimum security work camp has been criticized in the past for being under-utilized, most notably by Sen. Jon Synowiecki of Omaha in 2003, who tried to pass a bill to close the facility. This bill proposed by the Department of Corrections, which Sen. Synowiecki has already offered to sponsor, has support from the governor's office and the Parole Board, Houston said.

Inmates eligible for the transfer would be those who have proven to be compliant in the correctional system and who have already completed residential treatment programs, said Deputy Director Larry Wayne. No sex offenders will be allowed to participate and if an inmate tries to leave, a felony escape charge will be added to their sentence and they will be taken back the penitentiary.

Exactly where the inmates will be housed pending their removal is not yet clear, they admitted.

"There are still a few areas we need to work out," Houston said

Even with the incentive of earlier parole, the Work Ethic Camp will be a reduction of privileges for inmates and some may not want to leave the "luxuries" of TV and "hanging out in the yard with their buddies," officials said.

Those who are selected will get a thorough explanation of what is expected at the work ethic camp, which does not allow pop, candy or caffeine. In addition to behavior modification classes and drug/alcohol rehabilitation, inmates are eligible after five weeks to participate in supervised road crews that perform off-site community service work for local and area government agencies and non-profit organizations.

Because of the focus on rehabilitation and vocational skills, the work ethic camp will help parolees enter back into the community, Wayne said.

"We want to put them in the best position to succeed," he said. "We want to go above and beyond these people just staying out of trouble."

Raleigh Haas, Work Ethic Camp Administrator, did not foresee potential conflicts between prison inmates and felony offenders at the camp. Those on intensive supervised probation at the camp and those on parole are both trying to demonstrate responsible behavior, he said, but added that the process would be closely monitored.

If passed by the Legislature, the program will begin sometime in 2007. Transfer of inmates would begin small, with three to five inmates and gradually increase, depending on availability of beds. Expansion of the work camp and staff would be considered if the program is successful.

Work Ethic Camp Web site:

http://www.corrections.state.ne.us/insti...