At the request of Pierce County’s Emergency Management Department and the mayor of Pacific, District Court work crews recently filled over 15,000 sand bags. The sandbags are now ready to be deployed if needed this flood season.

The District Court Work Crew Program started in 1995 with one crew funded by the county council with $80,000. Today the program has grown to five crews available seven days a week working for the good of the community.

Citizens sentenced in District Court can work off jail time without being incarcerated. Court fines can be worked off at $100 a day. Keeping people out of jail also saves money. This year alone, from January through October, the District Court Work Crew Program saved $987,360 in jail costs.