The Ada County Sheriff's Office supports the use of alternative sentencing when practical and appropriate. Alternative sentences not only help the taxpayers of Ada County by reducing jail costs, but also give first-time offenders the opportunity to repay the community while continuing to work and support their families financially.

For an inmate to be eligible for alternative sentencing, a judge must allow the alternative sentence, and the inmate must agree to follow all the rules of the program. Most inmates successfully complete the programs, however, those who do not follow the rules must spend the rest of their sentences in the jail.

Sheriff's Inmate Labor Detail (SILD)

The Sheriff's Inmate Labor Detail (SILD) is a work crew made up of low-risk nonviolent inmates. This crew performs labor-intensive work on various public projects. While on the work crews, SILD inmates are supervised by Ada County deputy sheriffs or other appropriate county employees. SILD inmates do not spend the night in jail. After the work day, they return to their homes.

SILD crews worked more than 125,000 hours in the community last year, saving taxpayers about $900,000 in wages.

Work Release

Ada County Work Release is a program that allows low-risk inmates to live in a special detention facility and be released each day to go to their jobs in the community. This allows inmates to continue supporting their families financially. When inmates are not at work, they must be at the work release facility. Inmates who perform well in the program may have visits with their families in the community and may conduct personal business for three hours on Sunday afternoon.

Electronic Monitoring

Electronic monitoring allows inmates to serve their sentences on a type of "house arrest." The inmate is monitored through a device worn at all times. If the inmate tries to leave the house, a signal is sent to the Sheriff's Office, and deputies respond.

These individuals are often home bound, unable to work, and would have difficulty serving their sentences in jail or on other programs. They often have medical problems that would be difficult to take care of within the confines of the jail.

People on house arrest have strict rules about what they can and cannot do. They are not allowed to use alcohol or illicit drugs and must respond to telephone calls sent electronically at any time during the day. This program is an option for only a very few and only under special circumstances.