Cook County Jail has launched a new laundry operation to help jailed military veterans and save taxpayer money.
CHICAGO (AP) — Cook County Jail has launched a new laundry operation to help jailed military veterans and save taxpayer money. Around 20 veterans serving time in the jail on Chicago’s West Side have begun doing the laundry of more than 9,000 inmates. Outside contractors had previously cleaned the some 3.5 million pounds of laundry each year. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart inaugurated the program at the jail Monday. He told reporters a main reason for the program is to give vets who have run into trouble with the law a chance to help themselves. He says the work gives them hands-on experience in laundry services. Dart says putting inmates in charge should reduce laundry costs by around 13 percent. The cost of having an outside contractor do the jail’s laundry has been about $750,000 a year. Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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