Washoe County sheriff—s office details jail conditions and reentry program amid community concern over ICE use of facility

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office presented its fourth-quarter detention facility report and a summary of a growing prerelease reentry program at the county—s Sept. 9 Board of County Commissioners meeting, and answered extended questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at the jail and a pending federal grant.

The presentation summarized jail security metrics, trends in inmate behavior, and reentry services. Captain John Stewart said several categories tracked closely to the previous fiscal year and that staff have averted more fights this year. "Battery by inmates is down," Stewart said during his remarks, attributing part of the improvement to staff presence and enforcement in the facility.

The Washoe County Bridge reentry program—s coordinator, T.J. Mills, outlined a year of changes designed to reduce recidivism through prerelease assessments, education and workforce partnerships. Mills said the office launched a tablet-based self-assessment that 550 inmates completed since March, and that the results are statistically robust enough to inform policy and funding decisions. "Eighty-eight percent of our participants self-reported they did not have gainful employment…