A Webster County pallet recycling company that is considering hiring prison workers appealed to the Webster County Board of Supervisors this week.

Supervisors heard Tuesday from Dan Clark, director of Iowa Prison Industries, who told the supervisors that Was Broken Pallet, of Moorland, is looking into hiring inmates from the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City.

“A company is not normally allowed to hire offenders while incarcerated, but if they are able to show they are unable to hire a sufficient number of employees they are able to work with Iowa Prison Industries and the institution to start a program like this,” Clark said.

Bill Shirbroun, president of Was Broken Pallet, told the supervisors the company started drug testing about three years ago, and that has reduced the hiring base.

“We always have three or four positions we can’t seem to fill,” Shirbroun said. “We’ll fill them temporarily, on a short-term basis, and we can’t get people to stay, whether it be because of the wage or because they’re young or because they don’t want to work or because of the competition. Whatever the reason.”

Incarcerated workers go out every day, Clark said.

For instance, many work for the Iowa Department of Transportation or for Fort Dodge or Rockwell City.

He said the program helps inmates re-enter society by giving them job experience.

“All the men in this program are minimum security and are going to be released, and it’s much better they be released with some work skills and the ability to show they’ve been able to go to work, do their job, be promoted,” he said.

The workers are paid the same as other workers, but they only keep 20 percent, Clark said. The rest goes to the state for restitution, taxes and for paying back some of the cost of incarceration.