Some Arizona farms count on inmate labor

ARLINGTON—At the entry gate to Hickman’s Egg Ranch southwest of Phoenix, a visitor will be greeted by a worker in an orange jumpsuit with the letters “ADC” stamped down the pant leg.

About 50 prisoners from the Arizona Department of Corrections work here, packing egg cartons, loading trucks, constructing new barns, welding and making compost.

Inmates such as Courtney Reynolds, who is serving a six-year sentence at the Perryville State Prison Complex for drug-related crimes, say working here allows them to learn job skills and earn money for when they are released. Some go on to work for Hickman’s as regular employees.

“This program is really a good opportunity for those of us that put forth the effort,” said Reynolds, who has worked at the egg ranch for five months. “A lot of these guys have never used a tool before.”

It’s also a good opportunity for Hickman’s, which began using inmate labor about 12 years ago as a way to maintain a steady supply of workers in an industry that faces constant labor shortages, said Clint Hickman, vice president of sales for the company.

“I think it been a very successful program for us,” Hickman said. “I think sometimes it’s been spectacular in nature. You have some guys with really great skills.”

While many growers tout immigration reform as the key to solving the shortage of farm labor, some in Arizona already rely on inmates as a local, legal and dependable source of labor.

Nine Arizona farming operations use inmate labor, according to Bill Lamoreaux, public information officer for the Department of Corrections.

Ed Hermes, public information officer for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, said that the availability of labor is a main factor in the state’s ability to grow its $9.2 billion agriculture industry.

“Utilizing inmate labor is something that’s going to be looked at very hard at by farmers,” Hermes said. “Farmers are some of the most innovative people we have here in this country.”

Colorado, where farms have faced a labor shortfall since tough immigration laws passed last year, recently announced that low-risk inmates will be made available to work in the fields.

Cronkite News Service is as an intensive professional experience for advanced print and broadcast students in Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.