Desoto CI goes from Rags to Riches, saving taxpayers a bundle

Desoto Correctional Institution Laundry staff turned rags into riches this summer.  In preparation for the upcoming cool season, Sgt. John McHarque and Correctional Officer (CO) Denise Berry began saving less than serviceable material like blankets, sheets and other scrap material for a cost saving project that began when the inmate population turned in their winter jackets back in the spring.   Since that time, Sgt. McHarque and CO Berry have had inmate tailors assigned to the laundry completely disassemble, reline and reassemble nearly 900 jackets that might otherwise have been discarded if not for their efforts.   At an average price of $20 each, their efforts have resulted in a cost savings of approximately $18,000.