STARKVILLE — Starkville Town and Country Garden Club spearheaded the City of Starkville and Oktibbeha County participation in the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Inmate Litter Program, which can provide reimbursement of up to $50,000 each of annual funding for using state inmates to pick up litter on any state highways in the area.

“We learned about the Inmate Litter Program during a presentation by Leslie Pearman, litter prevention coordinator for MDOT’s District One, at our September meeting last year,“ said Lynn Strickland, vice-president of programs for the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club.

“Once we knew there was money to help fund litter pickup on our roads and that neither the City of Starkville nor Oktibbeha County were participating, we approached Mayor Spruill about the program. She agreed that we do not want to leave any money on the table; therefore, she decided to participate and encouraged Sheriff Shank (Phelps) to sign up for the program too. We can report the Memoranda of Understanding for participating has been officially signed.”

The MDOT Inmate Litter Program currently involves 67 of the 82) counties in Mississippi, now that Oktibbeha has joined. MDOT partners with the counties to use inmate labor to remove litter from the state roadways by reimbursing them for transportation mileage, hourly supervisor time for inmates, and when available, even providing a vehicle for use in the litter removal program. Four counties in MDOT’s District One will receive vehicles, which are Pontotoc, Itawamba, Monroe, and Union. MDOT also furnishes safety vests, advisory signs, and trash bags for use by local law enforcement in the program.

“We are thankful that Oktibbeha County and the City of Starkville will partner with us to assist in removing trash from our roadways,” said Leslie Pearman, litter prevention coordinator for MDOT’s District One. “Litter is a huge problem in Mississippi, and everyone needs to help us combat the issue.”

In addition to spearheading participation in the Inmate Litter Program, Starkville Town and Country Club is in the process of adopting a section of highway around Starkville where members will pick up trash several times a year, and the Conservation and Environment Committee coordinates trash pick up with local schools during spring volunteer week activities.

“I’m so proud of our members and the work the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club has done and is doing,” Kathryn Davis, garden club president. “Our projects are making a difference to beautify Starkville and the county, pick up trash, and enhance the environment for wildlife – especially pollinators.”

According to MDOT’s website, MDOT spends more than $3 million a year picking up litter along Mississippi roadways through their programs Adopt-a-Highway, MDOT Trash Bash events, and the Inmate Litter Program. These three programs resulted in the 4,299 bags of litter removed through Adopt-a-Highway, 6,398 bags of litter removed through MDOT Trash Bash events and 161,359 bags of litter removed through the MDOT Inmate Litter Program in 2022.

For more information about MDOT’s anti-litter programs, please visit www.mdot.ms.gov and/or contact Leslie Pearman at (662) 842-1122.