L’Observateur / October 6, 1999

DEAR EDITOR: As a concerned citizen of St. John the Baptist Parish, I read the Channelsmagazine in the L’Observateur for Sept. 29. I would like to know howRanney Wilson can say that he started the Prisoner Work Program when, in fact, I, Al Arabie, chairman of Council on Aging, went personally to Sheriff Wayne Jones in May 1997 and asked him if we could get the prisoners to help build the addition to the Council on Aging building in Edgard, because we did not have the funds to do the work needed to enlarge the building.

Sheriff Jones told me he would help us. This was the first time prisonershad done outside work. Later, Arnold Labat called me and said “Al, I willborrow your idea and ask Sheriff Jones to use his prisoners to cut the parish’s grass.”I would like Mr. Wilson to tell me honestly how he could say that hestarted the Prisoner Work Program when, in fact, he did not.

In addition, thanks to Sheriff Jones, we were able to save nearly $15,000 on the addition.

Al Arabie LaPlace

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