Former sheriff Pat Kelly was transferred to the Allen Oakwood Correctional Facility last week where he will work to pay off his court costs.
Former Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly will be working to pay off his court costs while at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution, which has been his “parent institution” since last week.
Kelly, who was found guilty on 18 counts including counts of theft in office in February, arrived at the facility, located in Lima, May 13.
That same week, the Athens County Clerk of Courts Office issued a garnishment requiring some of his prison pay be used to pay off the $9,206.65 he owes to the Athens County Clerk of Courts Office.
Cori Smith, a public information officer for the prison facility, said Kelly has not yet started work at the institution.
“All incoming offenders for 14 days will be in an orientation program,” she said.
After orientation, Kelly will be assigned to a job like food service or library work.
“The unit task will evaluate them and then they assign their job applications,” Smith said.
Smith said Kelly’s job options are especially limited since he is in protective custody.
Those in protective custody generally have the same jobs open to them, but are restricted to certain facilities and cannot associate with other inmates who are not in protective custody, she added.
Additionally, the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution generally only offers jobs relating to the upkeep of the facility, unlike other institutions that offer more career-development oriented programs.
“They don’t have a vocational program (at Allen Oakwood) and by being in protective custody, they are not around general population offenders,” Smith said.
Smith said Kelly can earn between $18 and $24 a month through his work at the facility.
She added that it’s not uncommon for inmates to have to pay a part of their income to cover court costs or other expenses.
“I would think that most of the offenders have court actions against them to collect money whether it’s garnishments or court money or child support,” she said.
Kelly has the option of filing an objection to the garnishment.
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