TRUSTIES STAY BUSY SERVING TIME SELECT INMATES LIVE, WORK AT LANCASTER SHERIFF'S STATION.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Staying out of crowded Los Angeles County jails for some inmates can mean mopping the Lancaster sheriff's station floors, washing cars and shining shoes.

But trusties - the term for inmates allowed to live and work at sheriff's stations rather than the regular jails - say the benefit is worth the price.

``It's so much better than sitting in a cell,'' said one Lancaster sheriff's station trusty, who didn't want his name used. ``We have to work a lot, but it's still a lot better. The food's better, and it's not as crowded. Plus it's a lot safer here. We also get to work outside more, which is cool.''

Trusties at the Lancaster sheriff's station work 12-hour shiftssweeping, mopping, vacuuming, shredding paper, emptying trash, gardening and washing patrol cars.

On their off time, they can make money by shining deputies' shoes or washing employees' personal vehicles at $2 to $5 a job.

At the Lancaster station, they sleep in a dormitory room that is inside the station. The room has enough beds for up to 14 trusties but typically only holds six to eight. They have a television set and exercise equipment.

Lancaster sheriff's station officials said they do not recall a trusty ever walking away from the facility. That would be the same crime, bearing the same penalty, as if they escaped from a jail.

``The potential is always there, but if they leave without supervision or direction, it's an escape,'' said Deputy Dan Aleman, the station's administrative jailer.

To qualify to become trusties, inmates must be jailed on a nonviolent offense and have a permanent address - transients are considered too likely to flee. Most are serving time for offenses such as driving without a license, failure to appear in court for traffic tickets, petty theft or drunken driving.

``There's a lot of restrictions on their placement,'' Aleman said. ``The inmates also have to decide if they're close enough for their family to come visit them. On occasion we have had to turn some away. If someone has been arrested for selling narcotics up here, we don't want to take the chance on placing them here.''

Lancaster trustees' meals are trucked in hot three times a day from Challenger Juvenile Detention Center. The trusties also serve food to the new arrestees housed in the station's cells.

Trusties let the county save money cleaning sheriff's stations, officials said. Although officials said they could not offer an exact amount, they believe trusties save the department several thousand dollars each month.

The trusties' time can vary from a few weeks to several months at the station. They are warned to be polite and courteous to everyone they meet at the station and that any slipup can result in a trip back to a regular jail.

``Most of the people we see are pretty cool,'' the Lancaster trusty said. ``They don't bark orders at us and stuff. They show us respect, and we show them respect. I don't think any of us want to go back downtown.''