CONTACT
	Jim Michaelson Cloverdale Superintendent 208.387.6352 Randy Noble Adams Superintendent 208.387.6327 tellus@achdidaho.org

Some of you may be wondering why the ACHD staff is out in the field clearing debris from roadways and alleys with Ada County inmates. The ACHD partners with the Ada County Sheriffs Department (ACSD) as part of an inmate program to beautify Ada County.

How the Program Started

The ACHD was fielding a lot of calls from the public wanting to know what could be done about the overwhelming weed problem in Ada County. In April of 1998, the ACHD and ACSD started the Sheriff Inmate Labor Detail (SILD) program. Realizing that the ACHD did not have the correct equipment to accommodate the new program, the ACHD purchased a new Pacmac 12000 compaction trailer.

The Pacmac 12000 compresses what would be an enormous mound of waste, into a small, manageable pile. This new piece of equipment saves countless person hours by greatly reducing trips to the landfill. On April 6, 1998 after weed eaters, hand tools and an equipment trailer were purchased, the ACHD inmate program began.

Benefits to the Community

The ACHD staff supervises approximately five to seven inmates, per day, working seven to eight hour shifts. By using inmate labor to perform weed, debris and sidewalk snow removal in ACHDs rights-of-way, the ACHD and ACSD have saved Ada County taxpayers approximately $61,280 per year in saved wages alone.

Each day the inmate crew boards an ACSD bus and begins their fight against weeds and debris. Inmate crews have completed projects in Boise, Eagle, Kuna, Meridian and Star.

Ninety percent of all the weeds, tree limbs and wood (organic debris) removed by the inmates is taken to the landfill recycling center to be used for livestock bedding.

Both the ACHD and the ACSD are pleased and excited about the success of this unique program.