Prison crews offer Illawarra schools free labour

The inmates replenished the sandpits at Peterborough School and finished painting rooms at Warrawong High School last week as part of a South Coast Correctional Centre program dedicated to community projects.

Up to 10 prisoners are hand-picked to serve on the work crew.

All involved are classified low-risk C2 or C3-category prisoners, with backgrounds in drug and driving-related crime.

The men work on community projects year-round, but only enter schools during the holidays.

Their itinerary is kept secret to guard against contraband drop-offs and unauthorised visitors.

Community projects overseer Robert Duff said prisoners had worked on about 65 sites in the Shoalhaven, Shellharbour, Kiama, Wingecarribee and Wollongong local government areas - including at Port Kembla Senior College - since the crew was formed in August 2011.

He estimates the men contributed $85,000 worth of free labour, or 5000 hours, in 2014.

Places on the crew were coveted, he said. "The idea is that they get some training to make them employable," he said.

"They learn skills from painting, minor building maintenance, construction, concreting and garden refurbishing.

"They love being outside the jail confines, having a bit of freedom.

"They like the variety of work and meeting new people."

He said the crew only took on work that would otherwise go undone, as opposed to jobs that could be picked up by working tradespeople.

"We're governed by [the principle of] not taking any work off local businesses," he said.

"But you can imagine schools have got limited budgets. They can't always afford to have weeding or some painting done."

The crew has worked at Jamberoo Abbey, scouting facilities and in bushland as part of a Southern Region Council's move against illegal dumping.

The crew is booked out until March but Mr Duff encouraged representatives of community groups to phone 4424 6000 to inquire about enlisting the workers for future projects.