Jess is in the kitchen every morning by 4:30 a.m., prepping trays, unloading the dishwasher and reviewing the day’s menu. He specializes in Russian honey cakes, a dessert with honey and caramel layers held together with cream. But baking is a relatively new hobby for him, and Jess often feels more comfortable cooking the main meal, whether it’s carne asada, curry or orange cranberry chicken. Jess doesn’t work in the Wasatch Back’s latest up-and-coming restaurant, though. He’s housed in the Summit County Jail, working diligently every day to feed his fellow inmates and jail staff in addition to crafting the meals supplied to senior residents through the local Meals on Wheels program. The jail mostly holds people who are awaiting a trial or conclusion to their case after being arrested in Summit County, but it also provides a home to approximately 45 inmates convicted of a crime. Instead of housing all convicts in state prisons, the Utah Department of Corrections contracts with county jails to provide a space for inmates where they can participate in programming and work opportunities, like Jess’ job in the Summit County Jail’s kitchen. Jess and the other three inmates assigned to kitchen duty work under the supervision of Sherry Mecham, who has worked full-time at the jail for 12 years. Mecham is often in the kitchen before the inmates, setting out spices, marking special dietary needs and coming up with ideas for future menus. But Mecham doesn’t work in a vacuum. She said she likes to collaborate with inmates on menu ideas, giving them the freedom to experiment and try new recipes as long as they don’t suggest anything “too crazy.” Serving 12-hour shifts in the kitchen five days a week provides Jess with new skills and allows him to connect with other inmates, Jess said. For example, after chatting with a Mexican inmate, he learned how to make pozole, a traditional stew, which was a big hit. Mecham said supervising and teaching inmates how to cook is rewarding because it gives them valuable skills they can use after they’re released. Jess already had an advantage in the kitchen because he worked in restaurants before his arrest, but others are learning to cook and experiment with recipes for the first time in their lives. Kitchen duty also lets inmates contribute to the Summit County community. Before they make breakfast for the jail every day, Jess and his coworkers cook the meals served to Meals on Wheels recipients in the Wasatch Back. They’ve been cooking for that program for more than a year now, and Mecham said it’s exciting to hear the inmates talk about the recipes they want to bring back to their families after they’re released. Inmates need to meet specific requirements before participating in work programs. Generally, they need to be approaching the end of their sentence and have an expected release date. They also need to have displayed good behavior throughout their incarceration, and some offenses, especially those considered violent, prohibit inmates from participating at all. But working also gives inmates perks, allowing them to purchase better items from the jail’s commissary, like MP3 players and better clothes. There’s a social perk for working inmates, too: humanization. Jasson, who is assigned to laundry duty, said he enjoys the freedom work gives him. He said an inmate has to be trusted to be given a work assignment, and they often develop relationships with deputies and jail staff because of their added responsibilities. In Jasson’s case, he can roam around the jail, collecting dirty laundry, scrubbing floors, cleaning windows and carrying out any other janitorial duties that may be needed. He is largely self-directed, deciding what needs to be done each day as one of two inmates on laundry duty unless there’s a specific request from jail staff. For Jasson, the work provides him mobility, accountability and a desire to be proactive while lightening the burden on his friends and family, he said, because he’s able to earn a little money to help with his commissary costs. He joked that the Summit County Jail is the “Taj Mahal” for inmates, listing his favorite meals that Jess and others have made in the kitchen as an example: baked fish, buffalo-stuffed shells and peach cobbler. In addition to the kitchen and laundry assignments, the jail has work crews maintaining the facility’s garden and washing cars for deputies and local car dealerships. There is also the coveted “road crew,” which takes inmates from the jail into the Summit County community for a variety of jobs, including shoveling driveways for seniors, helping with county infrastructure projects and demolitions, and plumbing and electrical work. There are three road crews, with space for five inmates on each crew. Lt. Jeremy Thomas, the jail’s commander, said there is a lot of turnover with road crews because it’s considered the best work assignment for inmates. By the time inmates qualify to join, their sentences are almost over. Thomas, like Mecham, said he finds working with inmates rewarding because he can see them developing skills that will help them after they’re released. He said his job, in addition to keeping the jail running and everyone in order, is to help inmates succeed, providing them with knowledge and encouragement to thrive in the “real world.” Thomas said he particularly enjoys the opportunities that road crews provide inmates because they’re able to go out into the community and receive praise from residents when they help shovel a driveway or complete a county project, which builds a feeling of hope for the future. Sgt. Travis Keeler, a jail administrator, echoed Thomas’ sentiment, saying Sheriff’s Office deputies still need to maintain their authority over inmates, but work programs allow jail staff to establish relationships and motivate those incarcerated to “do good” in the community once they leave. The work program also provides a sense of stability for the jail, with working inmates often taking a leadership role and “keeping other inmates in line,” Keeler said. He said it creates a sense of respect, with inmates having more appreciation for jail staff and Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates simply because they’re interacting with each other regularly, which is easier to do in a smaller facility like the Summit County Jail. Bates, who worked as the jail commander before her promotions to chief deputy and later sheriff, said she cares deeply about programming and work opportunities in the jail and that providing those services to inmates “remains a priority.” “Finding innovative ways to keep inmates engaged and productive while they serve their sentences benefits everyone,” Bates said. “Our community benefits from programs like Meals on Wheels, our inmates and staff benefit from the work of our outstanding kitchen team and county taxpayers benefit from the work our road crew performs throughout the county. At the same time, inmates gain valuable skills, work experience and the opportunity to make productive use of their time while being held accountable for their actions.” Richard Piatt, the director of public affairs for the Utah Department of Corrections, praised the Summit County Jail for its dedication to providing opportunities for inmates. He said the Sheriff’s Office is meeting the state agency’s goals for healthy rehabilitation, adding that small interactions with deputies and the work programs are “small” actions that make a “big difference” in how inmates are prepared for the world when they’re released. Most of all, Thomas emphasized that inmates are still human and deserve respect, and he urged anyone who sees road crews out and about in Summit County to honk, wave and say hi to provide an extra boost of encouragement. The post Summit County Jail offers work opportunities, sense of responsibility to convicted inmates appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less