Bowden Institution inmates have graffiti in their sights.
On July 8, Colin Whymark, a local community peace officer, told town council that a group of minimum-security inmates, supervised by corrections staff, would be in the downtown area to remove graffiti.
“We like to take a proactive initiative to get it cleaned up as quick as possible and they (Bowden Institution) has been very gracious and they come every year,” said Whymark. “We supply the materials for them and they get out there and clean off all our graffiti for us.
“We try to get them two or three times a year. Throughout the years I have been here they have been really good to us and they have done a wonderful job,” said Whymark of the town's relationship with Bowden Institution. “They are very hard workers. We totally support the program 100 per cent.”
He said the inmates will target the downtown area and other high visibility areas.
“To curb graffiti you try to get rid of it within 72 hours. The quicker you get rid of it, then it is a tag line not a brag line if you remove it as fast as you can,” said Whymark, adding he did not know how long this summer's graffiti removal program in town will take as weather conditions will dictate its length.
Rita Wehrle, the prison's assistant warden, said the inmate work program in the community is one that has been going on for a “long, long time” and it often involves different types of work based on what is needed in the community.
She added the number of inmates coming into town for the graffiti project could vary.
“It depends on how many we have cleared at any time to be on the program. Sometimes we have enough inmates that we actually have two crews,” said Wehrle, adding each crew can have between two and seven inmates. “It also depends on what work we are doing and what commitments we can get out of the inmates that are approved for the program based on some of their other activities they are involved in.”
