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Work Ethic Camp road crews pass 250,000-hour milestone
Officials and offenders at McCook's Work Ethic Camp say they're proudly marking another milestone.
Since the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services facility opened in 2001, WEC's Offender Road Crews have logged more than 250,000 hours of work in the community, providing free labor to county, state and local governmental agencies and non-profit organizations.
During May alone, more than 30 agencies benefited from this economical offender labor.
It is estimated that crews have worked for 70 to 80 agencies throughout Southwest Nebraska over the last seven years, with about 60 agencies receiving assistance on a regular basis.
Many mutually beneficial relationships have resulted from cooperation between these agencies and the Work Ethic Camp, officials say.
The benefiting agencies have at times been able to take on projects they could not otherwise have completed due to labor costs or an inadequate supply of volunteer labor.
The Road Crews were instrumental in the recent renovation of McCook's historic Fox Theatre.
Offenders have performed a wide variety of tasks over the years, from shingling picnic shelters to assisting with a search for a missing person.
Through these partnerships, WEC offenders work in a real-world environment that supports their treatment program.
They practice positive work habits and learn new skills.
Offenders find some tasks, such as refurbishing bicycles for disadvantaged children and distributing food for the food pantry, especially rewarding.
Occasionally, an offender reports they had never done things for others before, and they like the way it makes them feel.
The "Trust Program" permits offenders who have demonstrated good behavior and work habits to be assigned a job at a community agency job site.
They are allowed to work with agency personnel daily, with intermittent Road Crew Staff supervision.
This program has been very popular with the offenders, and feedback from community contacts has been very positive.
Road Crew assignments are one of several types of work assignments at the WEC.
All offenders are required to maintain employment and attend job classes while in the program.
WEC also offers short-term residential drug and alcohol treatment and GED, as well as classes such as victim awareness and cognitive restructuring.
The overall goal of the camp is to reduce the risk of recidivism through offender behavioral change, and to assist the offenders with returning to the community under close supervision.