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Sheriff’s restorative services report urges reconnecting incarcerated parents with children; staff requested $300,000 annually for parenting program
Summary
The sheriff's restorative services division presented survey results showing most incarcerated parents want help with bonding and communication. The division requested $300,000 per year to revive in‑custody parenting classes; supervisors asked staff to pursue alternatives if budget limits persist and to share survey findings.
The sheriff’s restorative services division told the Public Safety and Justice Committee on May 8 that survey data and program evaluations show strong demand among people in custody for parenting supports and that restoring in‑custody parenting classes would help family bonds and may reduce recidivism.
The department presented results from a survey of 231 incarcerated individuals showing 67% sought assistance with communication and bonding with their children and 48% wanted programs that would allow more time with children, Dr. Holly Child, director of restorative services with the sheriff’s department, said. The division asked for $300,000 per fiscal year to reinstate an in‑custody parenting program that had previously been cut.
Supervisor Ellenberg emphasized the research linking family connection programs to reduced recidivism and asked whether the county could identify alternatives if the requested funding is not approved. Child said staff are exploring partnerships with the Social Service Agency to leverage existing contracts, university interns and community providers as lower‑cost options.
County leaders praised the Lehi Experience protocol and other restorative programs for incorporating people with lived experience into jail programming; supervisors asked for outcome tracking in future reports, citing a recidivism chart in the presentation. Under‑sheriff Rodriguez and partners expressed interest in seeing how service results could be scaled and reported back at future committee meetings.
The committee voted to receive the restorative services report and to share the survey results with supervisors’ offices. Ending: Supervisors directed staff to continue pursuing alternative funding arrangements, share the parenting‑survey results with board offices and return with program details and outcome metrics in a follow‑up report.
