Inmates fixing Taylor County, one pothole at a time

Amidst Texas Department of Transportation and city roadworks delays, the Taylor County Jail has taken a proactive approach to fixing roads in the county — one pothole at a time.

You could see evidence of the roadcrew miles before catching a glimpse of them. They had already fixed numerous potholes Tuesday on the small county road in the community of View.

The sun was shining, puffy clouds were plentiful and the bright orange jumpsuits were eye-catching. Each of the men wearing them had massive smiles on their faces as they fixed potholes like the ticking hands on a clock.

One man would use the blower to free the hole of debris, the next two men would each load one shovelful of filler and the last man would rake it smooth.

Instead of only getting three hours of sunlight per week in the Taylor County Jail, these lucky few work outside in the fresh air and sunshine four days a week, and they appear to take enormous pride in their work.

Showing a work ethic

The inmate work program had previously been on hiatus while the Taylor County Jail had staffing issues.

But Sheriff Ricky Bishop said it was able to start back up again in early May of this year.

Only eight men qualify for the program out of over 600 inmates in the jail at any given time.

These men must all be nonviolent offenders who are deemed low risk, according to the managing corrections officer Rene Ybarra.

The inmates must apply for the program, attend an interview and hope that the waitlist is short.

The four members of the work crew made it clear they were extremely grateful for the sunshine and breeze that day in View.

One man, Anthony Trevino, had yet to be indicted, but he was proactively working off an anticipated jail sentence.

"I want to show Abilene a bit of my work ethic and to show that I'm not a bad person," Trevino said.

Another inmate, Jeremy Fowler, said, "It's all about the scenery and the fresh air."

The four inmates all echoed that same sentiment: Completing work for the city simply makes them feel good about themselves.

Trevino also said that compliments from nearby neighbors and women who stop to pray with the crew mean the most.

"For us, it's really special," he said.

'Protect our boss man'

The level of trust between Ybarra and the four-man crew was palpable. Ybarra was the only member of staff from the jail present with the four men in orange suits.

They would "protect our boss man with our lives," Trevino said. He said if one man were to try to run away, the other three would catch him.

Being a member of the work crew is worth its weight in gold to enjoy the fresh air, and the work crew took that very seriously.

If the inmates complete roadworks for the city of Abilene for free, their jail sentences are reduced three to one, Bishop said.

In short, none of the men on the crew would want to jeopardize their spot on the team because it means that they are that much closer to freedom.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Inmates fixing Taylor County, one pothole at a time