"I've been locked up for nine months so far," said Millward, as he took a brief break to allow us to interview him.
Under the watchful eye of correctional officers, Millward and a handful of other inmates are learning skills as they build a Habitat for Humanity house on Warren Avenue in Aberdeen.
It could lead to productive construction jobs once they’ve served their sentences.
When Habitat approached Sheriff L. Jesse Bane with the idea of turning criminals into carpenters, he says he saw it as a way to keep some inmates from ending up back behind bars.
"We're not going to put somebody out here who has a record for crimes of violence, sex offenses, drug violations, escape risk,” said Bane, “just minor misdemeanors and people who are worth taking a chance on."
Currently, the Harford County Detention Center houses more than 500 inmates, and two dozen of them volunteered for the program. Of those, only four were selected.
Phil Millward is one of the lucky ones, and he says he’d gladly five up the $2,500 per week he was making selling cocaine and marijuana before he got busted for a chance to earn an honest dollar.
"It gets you everything. It gets you fast cars and everything and all that... nice vehicle and nice house, but in the long run, you lose your family and everything anyway."
Their volunteer foreman, Dave Hall, says he’d be happy to vouch for all of his inmate laborers when potential employers call.
"All four of them are good workers, very enthusiastic, willing to do anything, willing to learn," said Hall.
He says he’s happy to provide a second chance for those willing to work for it.
***The inmate featured in our story, Phil Millward, has a girlfriend, three children and another on the way---all awaiting his release in September.
