Stanislaus County leaders said a new minimum security jail facility, now complete at the Public Safety Center, is designed for programs to change the criminal patterns of inmates and ensure fewer come back after their release.

Public tours of what’s called the REACT center held this week touted the classrooms in each housing unit, a family reunification room and sitting areas with multimedia screens.

So far, the array of programs to assist inmates with addiction, behavioral issues and the vocational skills they’ll need to live in the community after release is still being developed, staff members said. Authorities first need to determine which inmates will occupy the 288-bed facility, Sgt. Pedro Beltran said.

Beltran said hundreds of inmates are in programs in the medium and maximum security units next door, but the REACT center – standing for Re-Entry and Enhanced Alternatives to Custody Training – is far better equipped to support programs for inmates.

Inmate programs will be directly related to the five essentials of the county’s Focus on Prevention initiative, emphasizing social connections, health, education, employment preparation and stable housing.

Focus on Prevention is a 10-year initiative that targets the root causes of social decay to improve the quality of life for county residents.

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