County Jail Inmates Can Work at Animal Pound Under City Council Approved Plan

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 21, 2011 9:00PM

If the City is going to close this sucking chest wound of a budget deficit, it may have to do it through a lot of creative means. One such idea is a plan approved by City Council yesterday that will allow inmates at Cook County Jail to work at the City's Animal Care and Control pound on the South side.

Aldermen approved of the plan after receiving assurances that the center would only use non-violent inmates under careful supervision. 16 volunteers, mainly inmates serving sentences for driving on suspended licenses, will be heading to the center to clean dog kennel cages and feed and water the animals from 8 a.m. - noon.

Animal Care and Control and the County Sheriff's office agreed on a one-year, $231,059 contract, with a series of five one-year options, to begin implementing the program. Animal Care and Control racked up over $300,000 in overtime pay last year.