SAFFORD — On Monday, the Graham County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a five-year contract extension for Arizona Department of Corrections inmates to work at county facilities.
Under the contract, the county pays ADOC 50 cents per hour per inmate, a rate Graham County was actually looking to increase.
County Manager Dustin Welker explained that, prior to the pandemic, ADOC routinely provided 10-15 inmates to work at the Graham County Fairgrounds and with the county’s Highway Department, but since that time, only 1-3 inmates are available.
“So we’re hoping by paying them a little more, they’d be a little more enthused or motivated to come out,” Welker said.
State statute allows local governments to pay inmates up to $1.50 per hour. However, the board was informed that the local warden did not support the higher rate for inmates working at Graham County facilities, because that would create a pay disparity for inmates working at other institutions.
While the higher pay rate was opposed, the warden did inform Welker that there would be an effort to provide the county with more inmate labor.
