CHILLICOTHE, OH (WOWO) All snow plows and salt trucks used by the Ohio Department of Transportation are built by incarcerated workers at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution through a partnership with Ohio Penal Industries. The program, running since 1968, produces roughly 140 winter service vehicles each year that maintain more than 43,000 lane miles of state and U.S. routes, including interstates.
About 180 participants assemble the vehicles from the ground up. Workers receive pay and may save earnings to use after reentry into society. According to NBC-4 Columbus – A six-week training program is required to participate, and participants must maintain good conduct.
Shop manager James Fryer says the program provides opportunities to learn mechanical, social, and workplace skills. Workers, like Jerrino Johnson, report learning responsibility and taking pride in producing vehicles used to maintain road safety across Ohio.
Officials say the program benefits public safety while equipping incarcerated participants with skills and experience to support reintegration into society.
2 comments
No international units are built outside of the springfield and escboado assembly plants. the workstar is not built by inmates. this article need to be redone with factual information. if the inmates work on building the aftermarket equipment then that should be stated clearly.
This article is accurate. We were referring to the overall truck and not the chassis which is the incomplete vehicle. Most readers would already know or understand that the State of Ohio does not have heavy truck chassis design, engineering and production capability.