Melvin scrambles, tries to “clarify” his convict-ions

by David Safier

Al Melvin knows he screwed up big time when he told Dave Perry at the Explorer that he liked the idea of using convict labor in Arizona public schools. I jumped on Melvin immediately, then a Star editorial jumped on him a few days later. Rightly so. It's an idiotic — worse, a dangerous — idea.

Yesterday, Melvin went on the defensive in a letter to the editor in the Star. Today he has a similar letter in the Explorer.

His defense: Hey, some schools in Douglas used convicts to paint their buildings over the summer once.

Then he segues to the topic of using convict labor to clean up highway trash, a safer topic of discussion.

Right. Having dangerous convicts working in the schools is the same thing as having them pick up trash on empty stretches of highway. Melvin doesn't see the difference, which speaks volumes about his world view.

The devil, and the danger, is in the details on the proposed convicts-in-the-schools program. So let me ask Sen. Melvin for some clarification.

For this scheme to amount to real savings, convicts will have to be working regularly in schools across the state. When will these work details be scheduled? Certainly not during school hours. Evenings? Weekends? School breaks?

I'm an old school teacher. I know buildings are used beyond school hours all the time. Will all students, faculty and community members be forbidden from holding meetings, choir practices, sports practices, student tutoring, etc., when convicts are scheduled to work around the building? These kinds of school events can't all be scheduled at the beginning of the school year. In schools, things come up on a daily basis which demand after hours use of the schools.

Oh, and, will playgrounds and playing fields be shut down completely when the convicts are on school grounds? Absolutely no one shooting hoops? No friends playing soccer or touch football? Do all our schools have fences around their entire perimeters to lock students out?

In other words, will schools be shut, guarded and quarantined to make sure no students are present while convicts are in the schools saving the state a few dollars and putting more Arizonans out of work who could be paid to do the maintenance work?

Let's get specific here, Senator Melvin. The devil, and the danger, is in the details.