Work Release Program

Greene County Work Release Program

The Work Release Program allows participants to maintain regular employment while serving sentences of confinement, thereby facilitating payment of family support, fines, court, costs, taxes and restitution. A screening mechanism is in place to assess participants' readiness for the work release environment. Job assistance is provided to participants who are unemployed.

Upon approval for Work Release, participants receive a comprehensive orientation including a thorough review of Program Rules and the penalties associated with violations. Inmates nearing the end of their sentence move into a less secure facility. From this center, they hold regular jobs in the community and return to the center after their non-work hours, Inmates do not have the option to sleep late and miss work or leave work early. Both types of behavior would violate center rules and could result in removal of the program. Failing to return to the center at the scheduled time could actually be classified as an escape.

Because work-release participants will be in the community, however, the review board will be especially careful about selecting inmates to participate in such programs. Accordingly, violent or high-risk individuals will not be eligible for work-release programs. Further, work-release should be reserved for those inmates who show an interest in improving their skills or securing stable and productive employment upon release.

Employers who hire work release participants know these employees are motivated to report to work as scheduled time, also that they are regularly tested for drugs and alcohol at the detention facility. Our goal includes a reduce rate of absenteeism, better job performance, availability of background information on the individual, certain indirect benefits, and emphasizing the screening procedure.

For more information about the work release program please contact Deputy Tony Roe at troe@greenecountyso.org or call 870-239-6343.