Sonora, CA…Assembly Bill 2012, the Jail Industry bill, which was co-sponsored by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office was approved and signed by Governor Brown. This bill allows the county to establish and manage a Jail Industries program which uses inmate labor to create a product or provide a service.

The goal of this program is to transform the county jail into a productive work place for the Inmates, by encouraging them to learn skills, gain work ethics, continue good behavior and reduce idleness while providing benefits to the inmate, facility, victims and the community.
In the last year, the Jail has opened a nursery, and started two Jail work crews. The nursery grows vegetables, fruits and is building birdhouses and feeders, along with trees to replant the Rim fire scar. The work crews handle contracted land cleanup and repair, along with tree removal, forest road and trail clearing.
The skills that the Inmates are learning will aid in their success in their future, while helping us to build a brighter future for our community. Inmates will be compensated for their work, and having worked in and for the community, will have a sense of ownership and pride that hopefully will be associated with a betterment of their lives and community.