Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 27, 2017 5A
Inmate crew fixes roof of ‘Pink Pokey’
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — With more
a than a touch of irony, a
crew of Marion County in-
mates helped restore the
building that used to serve
as Falls City’s jail on Friday.
The Falls City Historic
Landmarks Commission
launched an effort to restore
the city’s old jail and turn it
into a museum this summer.
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Inmates from Marion County helped complete work at
the old Falls City jail building on Friday.
So far, the commission, led
by commission Chairman
Mike McConnell, has
cleaned and painted the in-
side.
Marion County Jails —
whose commander Kevin
Schultz is a former Falls City
resident — has offered the
project a big assist, helping
provide authentic jail cots
and bedding, and Friday
sending a crew from its re-
entry program to help clean
up, add a second coat of paint
inside and repair the roof.
“It’s an opportunity to
give back to the communi-
ty,” said the re-entry pro-
gram counselor Jeremy
Gilmore.
The re-entry program is a
transitional treatment drug
and alcohol treatment pro-
gram that had participants
serving half the program be-
fore they are released and
half after they are released.
While still in custody, the
participants spend Fridays
doing leisure and recre-
ational activities, such as
taking a trip to a bowling
alley or other forms of drug -
and alcohol-free entertain-
ment.
After hearing of the needs
in the restoration project,
Gilmore thought partici-
pants could spend their Fri-
day working. He said doing
the kind of work need Friday
is a good fit for the pro-
gram’s goals.
“A lot of these guys have
skills. If they put them to use
they really do well,” said
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JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Marion County inmates work on the old Falls City’s old jail building on Friday.
program parole officer Steve
McNeal.
Gilmore and McNeal were
also pleased to move the
restoration forward.
“This building has fasci-
nated me since I first saw it
20 years ago,” McNeal said.
He thought it was a stor-
age shed — which it may
have been at that time —
and never realized it’s histo-
ry. McNeal is interested in
what the commission finds
out about the history of the
jail and if they can find a for-
mer inmate to describe what
it was like to stay in the
“Pink Pokey.”
Gilmore said he had never
been to Falls City before Fri-
day and hadn’t been aware
the city had a jail.
The crew worked fast in
the welcome and warm sun
Friday, quickly moving from
prepping the roof to picking
up yard tools to remove
weeds and overgrown grass
from around the building.
“It’s been really success-
ful,” Gilmorme said of the
program. “They are learning
valuable work skills. These
guys thoroughly enjoy it.
This beats being locked up.”