Knoxville News-Sentinel
LOUDON, Tenn. — Following an incident last month at a middle school, Loudon County Schools has implemented a policy prohibiting county jail inmates from working in county schools while children are present.
Loudon County Schools Director Jason Vance confirmed that inmates from the county jail were used Aug. 19 to provide labor at North Middle School in Lenoir City while students were there.
“We had a couple of prisoners come out to the school to help move some furniture,” he said.
Authorities acknowledge some parents have complained about the practice. Standard operating procedure has been to use inmates to do work at the schools only when children were not present, Vance said.
A new school resource officer did not know that inmates were not supposed to be in the school when children were present, Vance said. The incident was the result of a miscommunication, he said.
“It is unacceptable to me to have them there with the children,” Vance said. The inmates on work detail last month were moving furniture in the school resource officer’s office. Resource officers are Loudon County Sheriff’ s Department deputies on assignment.
Using “qualified” inmates with the skills for painting and general building maintenance saves money that can be applied toward improving student achievement, Vance said.
Copyright 2011 Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.