(CHILLICOTHE) - Every snow plow and salt truck used by the Ohio Department of Transportation is built not in a factory -- but inside a prison.
At the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, the vehicles are assembled by incarcerated workers through a long-running partnership with Ohio Penal Industries. The program has been in place since 1968. Each year, about 140 snow plows and salt trucks are built from the ground up to help maintain more than 43,000 lane miles of Ohio roads, including interstates and U.S. routes. Roughly 180 incarcerated workers take part in the program. Participants must complete a six-week training course and maintain good conduct. They are paid for their work and can save earnings to use after their release. Prison officials say the program teaches more than mechanical skills -- it also builds responsibility, teamwork, and workplace habits. Workers involved say they take pride in knowing the trucks they build help keep Ohio drivers safe during winter storms. State officials say the program serves a dual purpose: improving public safety on Ohio roads while giving participants valuable job skills to support successful reentry into society.