State inmates pick up trash along highways

State inmates were out picking up trash along the highway on Tuesday.

The meantime, stateinmates were along the highway in lee county today to help combat the problem.

Wtva's alisa anderson spoke with sheriff jim johnson and tells us about the program that allows inmates to help keep highways clean..

Alisa now if you look behind me you can actually see state inmates picking up trash along highway 45 south.

Sheriff jim johnson told me that the inmates came out this morning at 7:00.

((nat sound)) highway 45 south may look cleaner to drivers.

That is because state inmates picked up trash.

The inmates are part of the state county work program.

Inmates come from state prisons.

They are housed in the old lee county jail.

The inmates are serving a year or more and are non violent offenders.

In one month sheriff jim johnson said they picked up over 14 tons of trash.

Sot: sheriff jim johnson lee county sheriff's department "these inmates get an opportunity to get out in the fresh air.

They choose to come here.

We're grateful for there efforts and ours combined and we're gonna continue to do it."

Standup: alisa sheriff johnson is asking drivers to use caution if they see blue lights and inmates picking up trash along the highway.

He told me they come out monday through friday from sun up to sun down .

In tupelo, im alisa anderson w-t-v-a 9 news.

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