In a county jail setting we have inmates who have local charges and when they are sentenced to county time (less than one year) they can apply to be a Trustee. They have to be cleared by the jail doctor, supervisors, classification officers and the Jail Superintendent. Inmates who are trustees are allowed to go on work details outside the jail provided the jail supervisor makes sure they have no outstanding warrants (NCIC or local). Inmates who are put in the Trustee section are housed separately from the other inmates and are given cleaning jobs, work crews and work in the jail kitchen.

I am in the Westcoast area and our Jail Post Order stated that prisoners with aggravated charges are not allow to work in the kitchen since there are things can use as weapon while they are in the kitchen and also while they are out in the garden. What we have been doing is to allowed (overide) those with aggraveted charges to participate working in the Garden and as a internal unit worker to earn good times but not in the kitchen. Most of these inmate have completed Jail Programs such as life skills classes and C.A.T.S. (Correctional Addiction Treament Services). We found that they work hard and focus on the tasks we gave them better than those that dont have aggravated charges.
What have your Jail done regarding to this issue? Or what do you think personally as an Officer?