Inmates paint Historical Museum
The Bella Vista Historical Museum got a new coat of paint, thanks to a handful of Benton County inmates.
Bella Vista Historical Society board member Carole Harter said she appreciate’s the prisoners’ work. The Linebarger room’s new coat of paint — a light green to replace the aging white — will help make exhibits stand out better, she said.
“This is the most improved room in Bella Vista,” she said.
When the museum moved in, she said, the room was essentially a cave, but windows were unearthed and light allowed in. More recently, she said, an entire portion of the building was constructed — adding a large room full of exhibits on the north side.
That last addition, she said, was put together largely by a prison crew like the one that helped with the paint. They bring solid skills, she said, and good attitudes.
“We always end up with new friends,” Harter said.
A similar crew also helped the historical society restore the historic water tower off Suits Us Drive, she said.
Ryan Mooneyhan, the deputy supervising these inmates, said he was proud of the work they’ve put in.
“We do a lot of things other than just pick up trash and debris,” he said.
The inmates work five days each week, he said, and in addition to getting out in the community for a while, Benton County inmates also receive “good time” which counts against their sentence. Working on the detail, he explained, can get prisoners out sooner.
This particular detail, he said, handles a lot of construction.
“They’re learning a trade. A lot of these guys don’t have experience,” Mooneyhan said. “They’re also showing the community that these guys aren’t really bad guys.”
One inmate on the crew, Doug Headrick, spent some time running back and forth for supplies to refresh the museum’s sign, which had started to lose paint.
This is his second time working as an inmate, he said, and he’s spent a total of about six months in the work program.
In that time, he said, he’s picked up roofing and other construction skills.
“It’s been fun … I think that these guys are making this place look really good,” he said. “I really like working for these ladies; they feed us real good.”