Trustees, or inmates, from Two Bridges Regional Jail were working, scraping and painting Edgecomb Community Church on Cross Point Road on June 14.

The work was being done through the Lincoln County Public Works program, according to Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Fleck, who was there accompanying the workers. “We (Sagadahoc and Lincoln County Sheriff’s departments) help each other out because we share the same crew from Two Bridges Regional Jail,” he said.

Fleck said the trustees had earned the right to be out working at a site. “It’s a good program. Every two days they work they earn a day off their sentence.”

The work done through the program is for non-profit organizations. “Fortunately, or unfortunately, they don’t have the money to pay for the labor, so we supply the labor and they supply the materials. These guys are just looking to get out and be with their families.”

The program has a list of organizations it helps, according to Fleck. He said the two county departments try to trade on jobs. “We’ll do this one, then I have a small job down in Sagadahoc County to do, so we’ll swap back and forth.”

Of course, being Maine, sometimes there’s a wait. “Some years the painting gets pushed back because of the weather.”