Minnesota jail prisoners provided about 3,000 hours worth of sandbag filling and other work during the flood fight of 2009.
They'll help again if flooding hits this spring, said Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist, who said prisoners do community service work throughout the county on almost a daily basis.
Jobs range from mowing grass for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to doing maintenance at schools and other government buildings, as well as at places owned by nonprofit organizations.
If a flood strikes, prisoners will be sent to where help is most needed, Bergquist said.
Moorhead has asked for volunteers to help fill sandbags at a public works facility in north Moorhead starting this coming week, but if more help is needed the city may request the assistance of prisoners from the Clay County Jail, City Manager Michael Redlinger said.
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Fargo officials have announced that prisoners from the Cass County Jail will pitch in this coming week when Fargo's sandbag filling efforts get under way.
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