THE SHIAWASSEE COUNTY JAIL is getting a facelift, as a work detail of trustees is giving the building a fresh coat of paint, transforming the building’s exterior from blue to a tan color “more befitting of a sheriff’s office,” according to Sheriff Brian BeGole. The new sheriff is getting creative in his efforts to maximize the resources available to his office, and the work detail is one example.
“We have plenty of talented guys housed here and at the work release center on Shiawassee St., and we don’t feel like they should just be sitting on their bunks all day. They are earning their keep. We are getting them out in the community, and they have, so far, been working to clean up the grounds of nonprofits and other county offices. The paint on this building has been an eyesore for years, so it is nice to be able to get rid of all the peeling paint and turn this building into something we can take pride in,” said Sheriff BeGole.
The trustees are minimum-security inmates from the jail and the work release center, and they are supervised by a county deputy. Sherwin Williams of Owosso donated a portion of the paint, and several deputies have volunteered their equipment and off-duty time to help on the project. Additionally, the Immanuel Church on M-21 has offered its youth group to assist on the project as well.
Sheriff BeGole added that his deputies have been very enthusiastic about the changes being made in the department, and corrections and court security deputies have offered to lend a hand. Work detail signs have been ordered, and Sheriff BeGole, who can be seen posing with a work detail sign in his office, would like to tell county residents to be on the lookout for the county work detail around the community in the coming months.
(Independent Photo/Graham Sturgeon)
