JASPER, Tenn. - For the past several years Jasper has used prisoners from the Marion County Jail to do various jobs around town.
"We've used them in the park, mowing, and cleaning up cemeteries," Mayor Paul Evans said. "It's been a real good thing for us."
But after a recent review by the Tennessee Municipal League, Jasper's insurance carrier, it was determined that the town must establish a written agreement with the Marion Sheriff's Department to continue using the trusties.
At its September meeting, the Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to adopt that agreement.
Evans said both organizations are under the TML insurance pool.
"This is the reason that they've asked for this agreement," he said. "We didn't have it, so all of it [insurance] before was through the sheriff's department. That was my understanding."
Alderman Paul West asked "where the line was drawn" on Jasper's potential medical expense contribution if one of the trustys was injured doing work for the town.
City Attorney Mark Raines said the insurance coverage is "all out of one pot in this particular instance."
"So, I don't know how they would even determine that," he said. "They answer to both entities."
If the trustys were working for Jasper, they would be covered under the town's worker's compensation, Evans said.
"If we don't agree to this or don't adopt it, we cannot use trustys at all," he said.
Raines said he couldn't recall a situation within the past 10 years where any of the prisoners have filed any type of work-related injury claim related to labor done in Jasper.
"They're so glad to get out and get to work," he said. "I think that if they did get a little injured, they probably wouldn't tell anybody."
West said he didn't have a problem adopting the agreement.
"It should've already been done, but sometimes that workman's comp stuff can be open-ended," he said. "It results in a higher [insurance] rate for us if they start paying out a lot of money."
Officials said as soon as Marion Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett signs the agreement, it will go into effect, and the town can start using the trustys again when they are needed.
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.