SYLACAUGA -- For nine months inmate Therron Works has been an asset for the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce, doing everything from helping with the design of a downtown park project to cutting grass.

Joe Richardson, executive director of the chamber, said the state Department of Corrections inmate labor program enables agencies like his that don't have enough funding for additional personnel to benefit from the use of this program.

Richardson said the benefits from inmates like Works far outweigh what a new policy regarding use of inmate labor will cost cities, counties and state departments.

Richard F. Allen, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, notified agencies that utilize the department's inmate labor of a mandatory fee for inmate use in early May.

The new policy becomes effective Oct. 1.

Each agency that utilizes inmate labor will have to pay a fee of $10 per inmate per day.

Allen said the policy change was related to the Department of Corrections' limited financial resources and mandated expenditures.

"It has become necessary for the DOC to begin charging a fee for the use of inmate labor to help offset the cost of incarceration. Therefore, effective, Oct. 1, 2007, I am asking each agency that utilizes inmate labor to pay a fee of $10 per inmate per day," Allen wrote.

The commissioner went on to write in the letter he plans to use some of the money to help the department recruit correctional officers.

Most, of the funds, he said will go into a special account to maintain the department's facilities.

He said many facilities are in deplorable condition.

Several Talladega County cities use inmate labor from the DOC's Childersburg Work Center.

Works is one of those many inmates spending Monday through Friday outside the center doing jobs cities don't have the funds or manpower for.

Richardson said Works is an exemplary and well-educated young man who has been beneficial to the chamber.

"He saved us funding with his drafting degree in designing work for the pavilion and park work Blue Bell is going to do in the area downtown. He maintains our grounds and building. He folds newsletters, sets up and takes down chairs and tables in our meeting rooms. He is a positive asset to us and $10 a day for his work is a steal," Richardson said.

Works is brought to the chamber by Sylacauga city employees who transport some 20 inmates for use in various departments around town. He works at the chamber from 7:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m.

"We as employers have a responsibility to show these inmates there are things for them to look forward to when they get out of prison," Richardson said. "Therron is up for parole in several months. I am going to do what I can to help him get a job. I hope we can keep him here at the chamber on a part-time basis when he is paroled."

Sylacauga Mayor Sam Wright said the $10 fee per inmate is still a good deal for the city.

"We will continue it. It is important for us because of how much they help in the city and it also helps those inmates," the mayor said.

Sylacauga today uses 21 inmates from the work center during the week.

The Street Department has 11. Their duties primarily are cutting grass along rights-of-way and recycling pickup.

The Parks and Recreation Department uses four men for grass cutting and other jobs, while the National Guard has two for maintenance.

Two inmates are used at the Talladega County Annex for outside and inside maintenance.

The Police Department uses one for cleaning, including washing police cars.

Sandra Donahoo, city clerk for Childersburg, said Childersburg averages using 15 inmates a day.

The inmates work with the Parks and Recreation Department, Street and Sanitation and Fire Department.

They cut ball fields, clean up the recreation center, ride on the city's garbage trucks picking up garbage, sweep the streets, work with recycling, wash fire trucks and even help in the mechanics shop.

Donahoo said in recent years inmates have helped renovate the new City Hall building, helped build a senior citizens center, an addition to the library, Fire Department quarters and re-roofed city buildings.

"They have saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have added to our work force. There is no way a city our size could afford 15 new employees. Inmate labor has saved us tons of tax dollars," the city clerk said.

She said the city will pay the $10 per day per inmate and feed them lunch.

"This is an excellent opportunity for us to get 15 employees for a cost of $14 a day. It is a tremendous asset to us. Something we could not otherwise afford," Donahoo said.