There is a select group of inmates working for the Florence Unified School District under strict supervision. Inmates work on maintenance and landscaping, at times when students are not present. They make $0.50 per hour, a huge savings for the district.

Inmates work here and also on the grounds of district schools, including Florence High School, but there are tight regulations and strict supervision of the inmates.

"The way the program is, they go through a screening process and give us the number they have, I would say 10 to 20 on any given day," said FUSD's Richard Franco.

"Including insurance and benefits cost $30,000 to $40,000 to hire full time maintenance person. With these individuals, we are talking 50 cents an hour, hundreds of dollars over the term of a bunch of projects," explained Franco.

"I mean, not if we are not there and they are probably trustees, so if they are able to work like that," said Jason Cutter a student.

By Premji