WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Inmates part of the Jail Alternatives Program worked with the U.S. Forest Service to rebuild a 30-year-old boardwalk at Heather Meadows.
The Fire and Ice Boardwalk at Heather Meadows in Whatcom County has new life after inmates put in the work to rebuild it.
According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Jail Alternatives Program is a voluntary program offered to low-risk offenders to work off their jail time through projects that give back to the community.
“It helps build valuable work habits, preserves jail space for more serious offenders, and benefits our community,” Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.
The program which has been around for 20 years, made the replacement possible without taking up people and resources from the federal government.
The boardwalk, which has survived years of snow and temperature changes, was in need of repair.