This is providing free bags and sand for people to protect their homes. Since there's no profit involved, I'd expect the inmates volunteered rather then being forced. There's minimal upside to forcing them if nobody makes a profit.
They provided bags and sand but residents had to bring shovels and fill their own bags. You can see in the picture and read in the article, the inmates are helping residents who need it. Many inmates have jobs. Spending a day outside, interacting with people, and helping the community in a difficult time seems like a pretty good one.
I feel like the ultimate goal really should be getting people to a place where they're not going to commit further crimes and harm their communities again, and I don't think just trying to punish people into that is effective. More often than not punished people just sink further into their own misery and keep pushing out and hurting others.
That all being said, I do think the experience of helping a community like this could be a positive one that could actually improve people's behavior in a lasting way. Minus the coercion and the life threatening conditions, I support volunteering opportunities for prison inmates.
How about: provide them the resources and opportunities they need to reenter the community as contributing individuals? They are human beings, after all. Many of whom likely didn’t get a fair shake in our unequal and exploitative criminal justice system. You could end up in their position through no fault of your own, so a little bit of empathy would go a long way.
What makes you think I haven't been in their position? Most of the guys in there, deserve to be there. The ones on labor detail aren't just being worked, they're earning good time, and learning to earn trust.