Picking up dead bodies 1 job that slashes prison sentences
Inmates with skills, such as carpenters or woodworkers, are particularly prized by the sheriff's office.
One inmate skilled as a drywaller actually taught his skills to county employees, Eiser said.
"We hated to lose him. He was a good drywaller," he said.
Another inmate, a white-collar criminal, used his skills while jailed to create a computer database the sheriff now uses. The man even visits the jail -- of his own volition and not in handcuffs -- to check up on how the database is operating.
In 1995, Sheriff Simon Leis battled a union -- and won -- when he allowed inmates to paint the inside of the jail, saving $300,000 in labor for that job.