FARGO (KFGO) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with the National Sheriff’s Association to launch a new program designed to reduce the number of repeat offenders in the jail system.
North Dakota will be the fifth state to use a program called R.E.I.G.N.I.T.E., once it is up and running. Sheriff Jesse Jahner explained the concept and the department’s hopes for the program.
“‘R.E.I.G.N.I.T.E.’ is an acronym which stands for residential, enhancement, and individual growth, naturally and intentionally through education,” Sheriff Jahner said. “Through the R.E.I.G.N.I.T.E. concept, we hope to create opportunities for our incarcerated population to use their time constructively, and hopefully prepare them to reenter our community motivated and equipped to succeed.”
Jahner said R.E.I.G.N.I.T.E. will involve educators, counselors and the public to create a culture change and help stop the cycle of inmates being released from jail, only to return on other criminal charges.
Captain Jason Gould of Genesee County Sheriff’s Department in Michigan spoke at the conference and explained his department’s experience with the program.
“In our jail, we had a pretty violent situation – it’s a direct supervision jail, very similar to what Cass County has here – and we have seen, although we still have disturbances in the jai, our inmate on staff assault has dropped 96 percent,” Capt. Gould said. “The floors, because they are direct supervision, were frequently very loud – you couldn’t talk at a normal level inside the housing unit. Now, when I.G.N.I.T.E.’s there, you can hear a pin drop.”
Cass County Jail officials said there are 9,000 bookings at the jail each year. At any given time, about half of the jail population is repeat offenders.
Sheriff Jahner said he is hoping R.E.I.G.N.I.T.E. will help reduce that rate of repeat offenders.
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