Glynn County approves inmate work‑detail contract for public‑works tasks

The Glynn County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with the Georgia Department of Corrections to provide an inmate work detail for Public Works, at a cost of $49,318 per year per detail and subject to county attorney review. The contract was funded from the Public Works FY25 operating budget and passed on a recorded 5–1 vote.

Public Works Director Danny Smith described the program as a state‑run arrangement that supplies a supervised squad of inmates, typically about five people per day, plus a Department of Corrections guard, to perform manual tasks such as vegetation removal and other landscaping or debris work. “Daily, they provide approximately 5 inmates,” Smith said, summarizing staffing levels and the county’s role in providing a van, trailer and hand tools.

Commissioner Booker voiced reservations about the contract and emphasized reentry supports for people leaving incarceration. “I just think that we should invest in, once these men and women leave incarceration, because that’s when they really need support, jobs and things,” Booker said during discussion. Commissioners asked whether the county could create a bridge program with the state to help inmates transition to civilian employment; Smith and the county attorney said they would look into options and noted that direct interaction with inmates during work is discouraged while they are incarcerated.

The contract does not permit moving inmates to high‑risk public locations; Smith said crews are not assigned to work directly in front of schools or playgrounds. The county will continue to rely on the Department of Corrections’ operational procedures for compensation and supervision. Funding and the county attorney’s approval were conditions of the motion.

Next steps: the signed contract will be finalized subject to the county attorney’s approval and implementation by Public Works.