Thursday, April 30, 1998 | 10:20 a.m.
NORTH LAS VEGAS -- Pulling weeds and picking up trash in a vacant desert lot on a searing summer afternoon probably doesn't appeal to many.
But apparently it beats spending the day locked up in a jail cell.
North Las Vegas detention center officials kicked off a new program Wednesday that puts inmates to work cleaning up debris and clearing away vegetation on street medians and fields.
"Trusties are chomping at the bit to be a part of this program," Municipal Court Judge Warren VanLandschoot said. "This community cleanup program is a far-reaching and very worthwhile use of taxpayers dollars to help clean up our city."
On Wednesday morning, six inmates dressed in orange filed out of a detention center bus onto a vacant lot on Yale Street. Supervised by a correctional officer, the crew peeled trash from the fence and pulled dead weeds from the ground.
"This is great because it makes our complex look better," said Aurea Mabe, property supervisor at the Rose Garden Townhouses across the street from the lot.
The inmates will work Monday through Thursday cleaning up cluttered properties.
The new program is part of an ongoing attempt to clean up North Las Vegas and its image.
"Not only does it clean up the community, but it allows the trustees to give back to the neighborhood," North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Paula Brown said.
VanLandschoot said the inmates who participate in the program have committed misdemeanor crimes and are always watched by at least one correctional officer.
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