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McAlester council approves pilot contract to use DOC inmate crews for year‑round public works
Summary
The McAlester City Council approved a contract allowing low‑risk Oklahoma Department of Corrections inmate work crews to perform supervised tasks for parks, the cemetery and the softball complex, with staff saying the program is cheaper than seasonal hires and can run year‑round. Council approved the measure by roll call.
McAlester — The McAlester City Council voted to authorize a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to provide supervised inmate work crews for city maintenance tasks, city staff said.
Miss Knight, speaking to the council, described the program as “a cost effective alternative to seasonal employees” and outlined limits on duties and equipment: inmates would receive training on hand tools and would not operate heavy machinery. Knight said the city typically averages about eight seasonal workers per year, at a per‑member cost of about $1,920 per month, and contrasted that with an inmate‑crew cost the packet lists as "$145 per worker." Knight told the council the submitted figures estimate a sizeable annual savings if the city uses a 10‑person inmate crew instead of a seasonal eight‑person crew.
Multiple councilors asked about supervision, liability and whether crew members who perform well could later be considered for city employment. A city staff member who has supervised the program in the past said the city does not automatically disqualify applicants with a background and that some previous participants later worked for the city.
Supporters said the program allows year‑round work rather than the limited seasonal window and could let departments share crews across projects. Critics on the dais raised concerns about liability; staff responded that the city is not held liable for unforeseeable criminal acts and stressed that crews would be continuously supervised by city employees.
The council moved and approved the contract by roll call. The contract would run through June 30; staff said they would return with a renewal proposal if the pilot proves successful.
Clarifying details: the presentation listed seasonal staffing costs at roughly $1,920 per worker per month and cited a per‑inmate rate of $145 per worker as recorded in the meeting packet. Staff also said the annual seasonal‑crew cost shown in the packet was $143,592 and a comparable inmate crew cost was shown as $18,900, producing the savings figure cited in staff materials. The meeting transcript records those numbers as presented to the council.
Next steps: staff will implement the pilot and report back at the end of the contract period with evaluations and a recommendation on renewal.
