Report examines inmate employment, include grounds worker here

WLUK, Fox 11 news carried a special report Monday (Feb. 20) on area businesses employing nonviolent prison inmates prior to their scheduled release. Among the local businesses and institutions profiled was UW-Green Bay, which generally has one such pre-release inmate working to pick up trash with the grounds crew — a longstanding practice that dates back some 20 years. UW-Green Bay contracts with the Department of Corrections, and inmates are paid $8 an hour — with no benefits — which is the same as the introductory wage for student employees. The practice results in a cost savings for the taxpayer, grounds supervisor Mike Van Lanen told Fox 11’s Robert Hornacek, and helps inmates reintegrate into society. In addition to a single inmate, UW-Green Bay employs seven state workers and 10 part-time students to keep campus clean. To put the larger story in context, the University employs upwards of 1,000 individuals in full-time, part-time or limited-term jobs, plus some 800 students over the course of any given year. Full story.