In cooperation with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Mayor Richard J. Kos and Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. today announced the formation of an inmate public service program which will address the the Burnett Road area trash on Friday on a weekly basis. The crews consisting of minimum security inmates will travel down Burnett Road from the Ludlow Line to exit 6 of the Mass Pike cleaning up trash such as cans, bottles, and bags in an effort to further expand the longstanding tradition of community services provided by the Sheriff’s Department.

“I have partnered with Sheriff Ashe in the past and I am glad to be working with him once again” said Mayor Kos referencing the past construction of the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee. “I want to thank him and his department for assisting us in keeping the Burnett Road area and the exit 6 interchange cleaner. As major thru-ways to the Ludlow facility, it is a logical partnership that benefits all involved.”

“For our community service restitution program to be most successful, you need visionary leaders who care passionately about their communities like Mayor Kos,” said Sheriff Ashe. “The community services restitution program involves 75,000 hours of labor a year in Hampden County communities. Most importantly it involves offenders building some sweat equity in a positive, productive, law abiding community life.”

The program began last week with over 12-bags of trash collected.