Alachua County SheriffScott and jail commanders briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 14 about expanded in‑custody programming, volunteer policy changes and a new reentry-focused unit.

The highlights: Captain Ray Swallows, who oversees classification and jail programs, told the board the jail runs education, behavioral and recovery programming and is supported by roughly 60 volunteers. "Currently, the programs and services at the jail are supported by 60 volunteers," Swallows said. He described an expanded volunteer policy that would allow previously justice‑impacted residents, after vetting and escorted access, to serve in the facility.

New reentry unit: County staff launched a program named CHANGE (Community, Housing, Academics, Nutrition, Groups, Employment) in September to focus on tangible reentry needs for inmates with at least 45 days left to serve. Capt. Swallows said the unit has screened 42 inmates since early September with 26 accepting services; among early outcomes, six inmates received jobs or job-placement referrals and six received housing assistance.

Education and outcomes: The jail reported 1,396 inmates engaged in classes in 2024 and 253 certificates of completion issued for courses that require attendance in 10+ sessions (life skills, anger management, parenting and similar). The new "transition" program uses Thinking for a Change cognitive behavioral curricula; the county reported 165 participants across 11 cycles since 2020 with 124 completions and 69 (55%) of those not rearrested in available tracking data.

Health and reentry referrals: SheriffJoshua Cruz and deputies noted partnerships with community providers for in‑custody interventions, mental health support and substance-abuse education; the jail now stocks Narcan in its lobby and has increased coordination with Released Reentry to provide bus passes, "welcome home" kits and referrals at release.

Staffing and standards: SheriffScott's team said improved recruitment and compensation have reduced vacancy pressure; the sheriff's office said it expects to reduce vacancies substantially after current academy classes graduate. The jail recently passed an unannounced Florida Model Jail Standards inspection with only a minor facility maintenance recommendation noted, county staff said.

Commissioner requests: Commissioners asked for more frequent performance data and outcome reporting. A motion asking staff to provide updates on jail programming and data was approved (board will receive recurring status reports; the board settled on a six-month cadence for formal updates). The board emphasized the value of case-level data and asked staff to coordinate metrics with Released Reentry so outcomes can be compared across programs.

Why it matters: Commissioners and advocates said program expansion and better transition services can reduce recidivism and improve public safety; early completion statistics for the cognitive behavioral program were cited as encouraging but not conclusive. Officials said more time and linked post-release data will be needed to assess long-term impact.

What's next: The sheriff's office will continue to expand volunteer recruitment, finalize policy language for escorted volunteers with prior convictions, vet tablet-based curricula for juvenile education and return to the board with regular reports on program volume and outcome metrics.