Full Notification

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is proud to announce that on October 22, 2014, the Corrections Division opened its new Veterans Enrichment & Transition (V.E.T.) Program at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility located at 1627 South Hargrave Street in Banning, California.

Prior to AB109, county jails operated on the model of “short-term” incarceration for inmates either awaiting adjudication on their pending court cases or for inmates convicted and sentenced to a year or less in county jail. AB109 changed this model to “long-term” incarceration for inmates convicted of specific felonies and violation of parole, while still handling its original “short-term” incarceration responsibilities. This change increased the need for programs offered to inmates.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has many veterans within all of its ranks, up to and including the Sheriff. The Department recognizes the honor and commitment of those who served in the United States Armed Forces, and estimated in-custody veterans make up about 10% of its total inmate population. Targeting this population by offering them evidence-based rehabilitation programs and linking them with re-entry veteran services will work to decrease recidivism with this specific group of inmates and improve the overall well-being and safety of our communities.

This three-month program will be delivered utilizing intensive evidence-based therapeutic models that address the specific criminogenic and re-entry needs of the Veteran population. It will include the concepts of incentive-based housing and incorporate group counseling, cognitive-behavioral treatment, motivational interviewing techniques, and interactive journaling. The program will incorporate Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), life skills, transition planning for re-entry; and, as determined through individual assessments, participants may attend mental health support groups and vocational education classes.

In collaboration with the Riverside County Veterans Court, Riverside County Probation Department, Riverside County Department of Veterans Services, Riverside County Department of Mental Health, Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Riverside County Economic Development Agency, Administration of Veterans Affairs, USVETS, and other partnering agencies, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is providing an interagency treatment strategy for in-custody veterans, as well as assisting them with re-entry into the community and linkage to job placement and housing for when they are released. This will not only help to improve veterans and their families lives, but increase public safety.

Anyone with questions about the Veterans Enrichment & Transition (V.E.T.) Program may contact Captain Cheryl Evans at (951) 922-7695.