City Jail Opens Doors To Business Ventures That Put Inmates To Work

The Spokane Jail is gearing up to go into business.

For the last few years the jail has put inmates to work in the community picking up litter and performing similar public service tasks.

Now, a new kind of public/private partnership would employ prisoners inside the jail turning out various products for industry.

The idea is for able-bodied public offenders to help pay for their crimes with the sweat of their brows, thus giving taxpayers a break on the costs of incarceration.

“We will soon invite members of the business community to join us in starting up new ventures at the jail,” says Sgt. Bev Mickelson. The manager of jailhouse industries notes that state prisons have been employing cons profitably inside the walls for some time. A new law scheduled to take effect within a few weeks authorizes jails to compete with prisons for work.

“We expect to make productive use of inmates’ time and to benefit industry in the process,” she says. “We aren’t in business to compete with the private sector, but to offer businesses another way to produce.

“For example, if companies don’t have room to expand, we can set up work areas in jail space for them,” Mickelson says. “They get the industrial space free, all utilities paid, along with a helping hand from me and other correction officers. We pre-screen and pre-train the inmates.”

Private business partners also get employee health care and industrial compensation paid by the state.

Offenders learn work habits that will stand them in good stead when they get out, Mickelson says. They receive a comparable wage. Prisoners pay taxes, Social Security, the standard payrolls deductions, and family support.

It all helps to ease the tax burden on society which must pay to build and maintain prisons for offenders. “The inmates really want to work,” says the jail sergeant. “They want to stay busy, and it helps to build their self worth and sense of accomplishment. In future, we hope to incorporate life-skill classes with the training so when inmates get out maybe more won’t come back.”

To reach Jail Industries, call 459-6350.

Financing program aids home buyers

How’s this for a clever new financing wrinkle: First, take out a second-mortgage loan against a home you don’t even own yet.

Next, use the second-mortgage money for a down payment and the first- and second-mortgage closing costs to buy the home.

Nifty? Revolutionary? A scam?

“We like to say unique,” responds Paula Benson, director of the Homeownership Division of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

The innovative financing technique invented by the commission enables more low- and moderate-income families to buy homes.

Under the House Key Plus program, two levels of financial assistance are available for qualified first-time home buyers. Those at or below 80 percent of county median income can obtain up to $5,000 to help with a down payment. Households at 81-100 percent of county median income can get up to $2,000. The new financing wrinkle must be used in conjunction with either an FHA or Fannie Mae mortgage available through the agency at below-market rates (currently 7.2 percent, Benson said Monday).

For a regular FHA or conventional mortgage, the minimum down payment is 3 percent, Benson says. “So for a $100,000 home, the family has to come up with $3,000 down. But, in addition, they must pay closing costs of $4,000 to $5,000. So it will take them $7,000 to $10,000 to get into the $100,000 house.”

A few thousand dollars is a lot to many families - especially young ones, says Benson, “This program is a leg up to help them get a foot in the door.”

For a free information packet about the program and a schedule of home-buyer education classes sponsored by the commission, call 800-767-4663.

Home Depot swamped by job applicants

Who says people don’t want retail jobs?

Home Depot took more than 300 applications the first day the discount giant’s hiring trailer opened for business on the store’s construction site near Sprague and Fancher.

“In three days last week, over 600 people came in looking for work,” said manager Tom Raynor. “This week we’re averaging about 100 a day.

“Not only is this a fantastic turnout,” said Raynor, “but we are very, very impressed by the quality of the Spokane labor force. Many of the applicants have been at their jobs a lot longer than we are accustomed to seeing in other labor markets. It appears people here have a stronger commitment to the work ethic. We’re only able to take the cream of the crop.”

Nevertheless, Home Depot will continue to take applications until opening day in mid-August.

The company is hiring up to 120 here to work with about 40 seasoned personnel brought in to help open the store.

Another store is under construction on Spokane’s North Side and a store will be coming to Coeur d’Alene within a year or two, Raynor said.

, DataTimes MEMO: Associate Editor Frank Bartel writes a notes column each Wednesday. If you have business items of regional interest for future columns, call 459-5467 or fax 459-5482.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Frank Bartel The Spokesman-Review