7. What can be done from a law enforcement perspective to reduce recidivism in Adams County?

Freeman: Jail house ministry should be increased. Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous programs should be offered to offenders while they are incarcerated to help overcome their addictions. This in turn will help reduce repeat offenders. Neither of these programs are currently offered in the Adams County Jail. Also, a work release program, which is currently very effective in Concordia Parish, should be created where offenders with non-violent misdemeanors can work outside of the institution to repay fines and restitution. This enables them to learn skills needed to be productive citizens upon release.

Mayfield: From a law enforcement perspective there is not much that can be done about recidivism. That would fall under the auspices of the judicial, correctional and social programs that are in place. I have been striving to keep an orderly and structured environment for the inmates in my custody. Inmates who are unruly or belligerent are dealt with consistently with punishment to try and make them understand they must conform. This usually works well while they are locked up but unfortunately once on the street again they often times revert back to their previous attitude. Longer incarceration with social programs and religious instruction as well as job training would probably be a good place to start. Better screening of the inmate before being released on probation or parole would also be an asset to the general public.

Patten: It will take a collaborative effort from public/private partnerships, faith-based organizations, community engagement and law enforcement as a whole in order to reduce this rate. Everyone involved will need to be trained, organized, uniformed, and totally committed to the process. Assessments will need to be completed in order to determine what type of offender you are dealing with and what motivates them. Once the assessment is done, you can determine the type of treatment that needs to be applied in order to teach them the proper social behavior. This will not happen overnight, so the offender will need consistent support throughout the community. Positive reinforcement will be needed and strongly encouraged.

Prater: One way I plan to combat recidivism or that revolving door of inmates is implementing a community policing style approach to law enforcement. We must get more involved with our community; we have to work with our schools, social services, community leaders, churches, local business. With dedication, we can identify and correct problems at an early stage and guide those individuals in the right direction.

 

8. Adams County sees a number of domestic violence cases each year. How can the sheriff’s office address domestic violence?

Freeman: The Ladies Beware Self Defense Program I created in 2009 helps women learn ways to protect and defend themselves. This has been a highly successful program. In addition to this, a program can be created for domestic violence awareness and prevention with qualified instructors that can teach awareness, defensive techniques and prevention. Domestic violence training for deputies should be ongoing. Work with judiciary system to initiate a mandatory anger management program for domestic violence offenders as part of sentencing (is necessary).

Mayfield: Domestic violence is one of our most received calls. Domestic violence stems from a lot of different sources such as mental illness, substance abuse, economic factors or a combination of these factors. One of the first promises I kept when I was elected sheriff was to institute a victims assistance coordinator. Each victim of crime including victims of domestic violence is given this officer’s phone number and the officer is available 24 hours a day. Officers council the victims and arrest the aggressors. Officers try and get the victims to go to a safe place away from the aggressor and guide the victim through the process of protective orders and other remedies to keep them away from potential threats. Domestic violence is something that our officers unfortunately can only react to in most cases.

Patten: It will take a collaborative effort involving local law enforcement, public and private organizations, and the community in order to combat domestic violence. The first thing we need to do is raise awareness so that individuals can recognize the signs prior to entering a relationship or whether trying to make a decision to leave a relationship. We can do this through our goals to form public/private partnership along with the faith-based communities. Next is to consistently enforce the laws provided and offer support services. The most important part is that of the victim. They must make a decision that they want help and actually accept the help provided. The support we will provide through these partnerships will create a safe-haven for victims of domestic abuse.

Prater: Domestic violence is the number one crime in America and is often one of the most dangerous calls a law enforcement officer will respond to. When I’m elected sheriff, I will assign a special investigator to closely monitor these cases and increase public awareness of how serious this crime is. With bringing public awareness to this problem, it will decrease the number of cases.