Pennsylvania Inmates Participate In Litter Cleanup Program

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) support Harrisburg Community Correction Center’s (CCC) inmate litter cleanup, according to Pennsylvania DOC Release.

“As we enter into our springtime maintenance activities, litter is still a focus area for us at PennDOT,” said PennDOT’s Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Partnering with the Harrisburg Community Correction Center presents an opportunity for reentrants to perform important community service while saving taxpayer dollars that would have been spent cleaning up our roadways. Every dollar we have to spend on litter cleanup is a dollar we cannot invest in our system.”

According to Pennsylvania DOC, part of the commonwealth’s first Litter Action Plan released in 2021, roughly 20 Harrisburg CCC residents assisted in cleaning up Cameron Street in downtown Harrisburg. Nine other cleanup events across Pennsylvania have had DOC participants since April, with more scheduled in the future.

“Community service is integral to successful reentry,” said DOC Deputy Secretary for Reentry Kelly Evans. “Community service helps reentrants give back to their community and provides valuable experience of engaging in prosocial activities while giving back.”

“Everyone wins with this program,” added DS Evans. “Our volunteer reentrants are being productive as they reintegrate into their communities – and PennDOT gets the help they need, and Pennsylvania taxpayers enjoy cleaner roads while saving money.”

PennDOT provided safety items such as signage along the roads to signify that litter pickup crews were ahead, safety vests, gloves, and bags. According to Pennsylvania DOC, approximately $14 million annually statewide to clean up litter efforts. Other department programs, such as Adopt-A-Highway and Sponsor-A-Highway, allow groups and businesses to volunteer to adopt and sponsor road cleanup and beautification.

Litter collection programs benefit not only the commonwealth’s roadways but also the residents and inmates who live here.

Keep up to date on Pocono news, art, and events by following us on the Newsbreak app.

Have a news tip? Report it to (570) 451-NEWS.