Gordon inmates lend a hand with cleanup efforts

A group of prison inmates supervised by staff from Gordon Correctional Center (GCC) has been assisting with the flood cleanup in northwestern Wisconsin by removing debris from homes in Superior.

GCC sergeants Dave Sperling and Jamie Kuffel supervised 10 inmates on Friday, June 29, as they worked to remove debris from at least 60 homes in the Superior area.

The inmates were sent out in two groups and paired with city of Superior and Douglas County employees to help with cleanup efforts.

The inmates picked up water and sewage damaged items from houses the homeowners placed outside for pickup. Beds, couches, entertainment centers, drywall, lumber, and personal photos were among the damaged belongings.

GCC Sgt. Kuffel said that some of the piles picked up were as large as the garbage trucks that hauled the trash away.

The City of Superior provided garbage trucks and front end loaders and the Douglas County Highway Department supplied dump trucks to help with the removal process. The damaged items and debris were taken to the landfill in Superior.

“Visual damage wasn’t too noticeable except what you could see in the faces of the people you were helping and the damaged belongings coming out of the homes,” said Sgt. Kuffel. “All the water and sewage was gone, so we didn’t get the full effect of what really happened other than listening to some of the stories from the residents that lived it.”

The GCC work crew will also assist in cleanup efforts this week.

Tags: douglas county, news, flood, superior