Prison inmates will shovel snow at T stations again this winter
By Adam Vaccaro
Boston.com
January 21, 2016
Prison inmates will once again help shovel snow at T stations this winter to help keep the city moving after major storms.
Inmates will clear mounds of snow from parking lots, sidewalks and station entrances and exits as part of an agreement forged between transit officials and the state’s Department of Corrections.
Leslie Walker, the executive director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts, said the typical prisoner wage is “a ridiculously low amount, and it doesn’t really teach you more about budgeting or any of the skills you need for re-entry.”
But Walker said she would expect inmates to be enthusiastic about the voluntary work program should snowfall call them into duty this year.
“Idleness is one of the biggest problems in prison, and prisoners are eager to work and get the meager compensation they receive,” she said.