Smith County Jail. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

Smith County taxpayers have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by having inmates work on renovating the jail.

The jail showers have had leakage problems for years, creating puddles and mildew throughout the building.

Instead of having to hire out contractors, the majority of the work is being handled by inmates.

“Well it beats sitting in the cell all day. And you know, it really helped me learn some life skills,” inmate Aarron Reed said.

They call him “The Engineer.”

He’s one of the inmates working on the jail.

“We’re remodeling the bathrooms here at the jail, because the current situation, they’re leaking and in bad shape,” Reed said.

There’s a checklist inmates have to meet to be in the trusty program, which allows them the chance to work.

Crews are doing more than just handy work — this is something that would usually take a full construction crew.

“We’re remodeling the showers, there’s two showers, we’re taking the paint off the wall, back down to the block, we’re jack hammering out the shower floor, going to put new cast iron pipe in, new shower floors, going to paint the walls, paint the ceiling, new shower faucets, so it will be brand new when we get through,” said Kim Hawkins, who is the detention officer in charge of the renovations.

Hawkins said he’s seen first hand how those skills have helped inmates succeed.

“We had one young man that got out about two months ago, got him a good job as a painter, never picked up a paint brush in his life before, and he called me about a month ago, and they even gave him a raise,” Hawkins said.

As for Reed, it’s become more than just a job. He’s getting support in what might seem like an unlikely place.

“I get something out of it, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment,” Reed said.

The inmates who are trusties do more than just work in the jail.

They also work around the county, from collecting trash by the roads, to renovating the Sheriff’s Office, to working with local non-profits.