MONROE, Wash. (AP) — Inmates from the Monroe Correctional Complex are planting flowers for cash-strapped Washington cities and counties.
Monroe parks director Mike Ferrell says partnerships between the prison and local cities helps the municipalities get some work done cheaply, while giving prisoners access to work.
The Monroe prison has sent inmates to work in the community for years. The prison has 20 contracts with municipalities such as Snohomish County, Lake Stevens and Marysville.
The crews mostly do jobs like weeding and litter control. The crews are only hired by government agencies and nonprofits within a 30-mile radius of the prison.
