SHORELINES

Substance Abuse Program (SAP), who are incarcerated in the Etowah which since 2004 has helped the County Jail to take part in several Renew Our Rivers cleanup each events, including Renew Our Rivers, spring. On this gloomy day, it didn't as part of their rehabilitation. take long for the inmates to blend in "The SAP program has had great with the rest of the volunteers who had success with keeping the participants shown up to give a day of service to from becoming repeat offenders," their community. says Chief of Detention Scott Hassell. Once the boats left the dock and "But what we found is the ones who the cleanup began, there was no notice participate in the river cleanup are of uniform, only people standing chest- 19 percent less likely than the ones deep in cold, dark water pulling debris who didn't participate in the cleanup to the surface. Barge after barge of to return to jail. The harder they work trash, tires, rotted wood and forgotten doing service for others, the more they memorabilia from lazy days gone realize that there's more to life." by came back to the landing. Piece Spring Cleaning P ro gr a m r ene w s r i v er s a nd l i v es SAP participant Baylor Harp has by piece, the volunteers loaded the learned more than community service garbage onto trailers to be hauled away. from his time spent on the water. "We already know what a great program Renew Our Rivers is and how mariner," Harp says. "I realized how much it has done to keep Alabama's much I enjoy working on a boat. It's waterways clean," says Alabama Power hard work, but it makes me feel good Environmental Affairs Specialist to give back and be part of a team." Doug Powell. "In 14 years, Renew About 100 people gathered at "I want to become a professional Harp plans to attend the Chapman Our Rivers has collected more than School of Seamanship in Florida when Rainbow Landing in Rainbow City 12.6 million pounds of trash and he completes his sentence. on a cool, rainy day in May, ready to expanded into four states. That alone begin collecting trash from the Coosa is impressive enough, but what they've River. One group of men stood out got going on here in Etowah County from the crowd, their bright orange utilizing members of SAP, that's uniforms popping color into the mist. more than just cleaning up trash, it's The men are members of the Etowah County Sheriff's Department changing lives." SAP allows nonviolent offenders Above left: Photo by Nik L ayman — More than 12.6 million pounds of trash have been collected in Renew Our Rivers cleanups. Above: Photo by Nik L ayman — Inmates pull a piece of debris from Neely Henry Lake. 18 S hor el i ne s | 2013 Vol:2

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