Wood County Jail Offers Multiple Programs And Therapy

Friday, May 31st, 2024 -- 12:57 PM

The Wood County Jail offers multiple programs and therapy to help inmates find success after jail.

Once they’re housed in a new jail next year, they will be able to offer more programming to inmates. Over the years the Wood County Jail has seen the need for mental health programs grow. Now the jail is not only about discipline, but also getting inmates the help they need so they don’t come back. Ten years ago the Wood County Jail experienced a rise in suicides. When Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker was part of the patrol division, he witnessed the trauma it brought to the community. “The impact that it has not only on families of the people that have inmates within our jail but also our staff,” Sheriff Becker said. “That’s probably where I saw the majority of it, a lot of our staff were leaving.” To ensure inmates are getting the help they need, Wood County offers multiple programs and over the years more inmates have been applying for these programs. So much so that they have a waiting list, but with the new jail coming, and more space, they’ll be able to address that waiting list. “We do it on a rotating basis for programming. We do one end of the jail each time that specific program comes into the jail, so we won’t have to rotate anymore,” Wood County Lt. Susanna Wagner said. “Everybody will have an opportunity to go on the same day.”

Inmates not only want to sign up for programs, they are asking for counseling too. Sometimes those referrals get backed up, but they let inmates know they are on their radar. “I try to do quick check-ins with them. I will go with jail staff directly to their cell block and do a quick check in to see if there is something I can get them like a coping tool or something like that,” Wood County Counselor Sheena Bohl said. “So that they know, ‘I see you, but I can’t sit down with you at this time.’” Wood County Jail inmate Josh Foss, who is part of these programs and just received his GED with Mid-State, now has another goal in mind. “I want to go through the recovery program they offer,” he said. “Wood County does actually show some patience with drug use and addiction.” To keep improving how things are run in the jail, Wood County is looking at hiring more counselors for the new jail. The new jail should be open for inmates by next year.

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