Through the authority of the Detention Division of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department, the inmates may participate in programs designed to aid them in a successful re-entry into the community upon release from jail.

One of the goals of the Detention Division is to send as many inmates home with as much education and resources as we can to help break the recidivism rate. With the help of Grant money and the Inmate Welfare Fund we are able to provide our program attendees a head start.

Established Programs Include:

• GED/Literacy program
• Religious Programs - Volunteers that come in for Bible Study etc.
• Drug and Alcohol Program (contracted instructors from Yolo County Mental Health)
• Substance abuse Rehabilitation Program Placement
• Friends Outside – assists inmates with services Correctional Staff are not trained or able to perform.
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• AIDS/HIV counseling
• Parenting Classes
• Anger Management Education
• Relaxation training - Provided by our contract medical provider
• Psychological Counseling - Provided by our contract medical provider

At the present time we have computers allowing students to study for their GED with the PLATO Learning Program and improve their typing skills in the Mavis Beacon Tutorial. Computers are loaded with “Learn to Speak English” for students trying to learn English. There are also computers loaded with Microsoft Office 2000 helping students learn programs used in an office setting.

Through the Woodland Literacy Program, the Inmate Programs Section is proud to report we have approximately 75 graduates for GED Certificates and two students were able to obtain high school diplomas. Three volunteer tutors have worked with the students. In addition, a Woodland literacy teacher assists in making these accomplishments possible.

The Sheriff has also designed a program which allows low risk convicted individuals to work for the Yolo County Probation Department instead of serving their full time in jail. Inmates that participate in the Sheriff’s Working Inmate Program (SWIP) may be released from their last forty-five days of jail time to perform outdoor work within specific guidelines of this program as an alternative to completing their sentence in custody.  SWIP is a voluntary program.

Sheriff's Working Inmate Program