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Board ratifies increase to inmate crew pay from $0.50 to $1.50 per hour
Summary
Supervisors ratified an amendment to the county inmate work contract raising the inmate hourly rate to $1.50, a change county staff said improved crew availability for fairgrounds and other projects.
Graham County supervisors ratified an amendment on Sept. 15 to increase inmate crew pay from $0.50 per hour to $1.50 per hour under inmate work contract No. 25013-30.
County Manager Dustin Welker explained the change was sought to improve inmate participation in county work crews after numbers fluctuated since the COVID-19 pandemic. Welker said the county reviewed “revised statutes” and moved to the higher rate after other agencies, including ADOT, raised their rates, which permitted a competitive pay level.
Welker said the county has already seen an increase in crew size to “about 7 or 8” inmates and hopes to reach “around 10 or 12.” He said the board chair signed the amendment earlier to expedite implementation and the board ratified that signature at the meeting.
Vice Chairman David and other supervisors discussed the pay change as a modest increase that could improve labor availability for the county’s fairgrounds and other maintenance needs. A motion to ratify the amendment passed by voice vote.
The ratification applies to the existing inmate work contract (No. 25013-30) and increases the per-inmate hourly compensation from $0.50 to $1.50; the transcript did not provide the contract’s broader financial framework or whether the county will adjust program budgets to cover the increase.
