700 North Fifth Street Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811
916-874-1400
Public Hours:
OPEN Monday thru Friday, CLOSED Saturday, Sunday and all County Holidays
Alternative Sentencing Program: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sheriff’s Work Project: 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Home Detention Program: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Special Notice: Sheriff’s Work Project has resumed normal operations and we are currently running work crews while utilizing restrictions/precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Anyone with questions can call 916-874-1400 for further information.
Motto: "Working for a better community."
The Work Release Division is Sacramento County's alternative to incarceration or in lieu of the payment of certain traffic fines for those convicted of a criminal or traffic offense in Sacramento County.
Our Work Project and Home Detention programs allow qualified inmates to serve their criminal sentence at their own home on the electronically monitored Home Detention Program, or by participating in community service projects on Sheriff’s Work Project. The Alternative Sentencing Program allows those who are referred directly by the Traffic Court to perform community service hours in lieu of court imposed fines or criminal sentences.
Since 1979, these programs have provided a more constructive and beneficial way for low-risk offenders to serve their court-ordered commitments. Participation has typically ranged from 500-800 active inmates on Work Project and our Home Detention program averages approximately 250 enrolled inmates. The Alternative Sentencing Program, on average, has 1100 active participants.
As alternatives to incarceration, Home Detention and Sheriff’s Work Project allow inmates to maintain employment and family relationships and continue to be productive members of society. The community benefits from inmate labor provided to groups such as school and park districts, churches, civic groups, and other non-profit organizations. The County of Sacramento benefits from a reduced jail population, helping to alleviate potential jail overcrowding, as well as the reduction of associated incarceration costs.
Alternative Sentencing Program participants benefit the entire community by completing many tasks for local nonprofit and public organizations (including but not limited to) veteran’s assistance programs, homeless assistance organizations, and community food banks.
There are three primary programs at the Work Release Division:
- Alternative Sentencing Program (ASP)
Direct Traffic Court referrals only. Walk-in applications are not accepted.
- Home Detention (HD)
Open to all sentenced inmates to apply for admission where the sentencing Judge has not specifically objected to you serving your commitment on Home Detention, there is no statutory prohibition from you doing so, and you have never been removed from or denied for the program.
- Sheriff’s Work Project (SWP)
Open to all sentenced inmates to apply for admission where the sentencing Judge has not specifically objected to you serving your commitment on Sheriff’s Work Project, there is no statutory prohibition from you doing so, and you have never been removed from or denied for the program. In order to qualify you must not have more than 90 days remaining to serve on your sentence and you must have sufficient time left on your probation term to complete your sentence before your probation expires. SWP does not currently accept referrals from or to another county.
Alternative Sentencing Program
700 North Fifth Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
916-874-1400 (select option 3)
Public Hours:
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Monday - Friday
ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
The Sheriff’s Alternative Sentencing Program (ASP) is designed to provide an opportunity for people to work community service hours in lieu of paying fines. It also allows certain sentenced individuals the ability to work in their community in lieu of serving time in jail. Participants and participating organizations adhere to specific rules of the program and work closely with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure accountability for all involved. Sacramento Sheriff’s Office staff or participating organization’s site administrators supervise every job site to ensure credit for attendance. Participants pay an application fee and program participation costs (scaled on their ability to pay) making it a highly cost effective program.
ASP has grown into an important opportunity for everyone involved. The participant benefits by being given the opportunity to work off fines which they otherwise may not have been able to afford. It also provides the participant with the opportunity to maintain/recover an active driver’s license by avoiding the suspension that comes with the failure to pay fines.
ASP participants benefit the entire community by completing many tasks for local nonprofit and public organizations (including but not limited to) veteran’s assistance programs, homeless assistance organizations, and community food banks.
ASP is a valuable tool for the criminal justice system which reduces jail overcrowding and in turn reduces jail expenses to local taxpayers. Allowing sentenced offenders to earn incarceration credits through this program provides a number of benefits for the offenders and for the community including keeping families together, allowing participants to maintain employment, and sustain their housing.
Participants are selected and referred to ASP through the court system.
Child Support Revenue Recovery Detail
Public Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
916-876-6543
The Child Support Detail is assigned to assist the County of Sacramento Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). The Detectives assigned to this unit will perform enforcement and investigative duties to encourage the payment of child support.
CLICK HERE for more information.
DCSS has taken over control of child support by mandates from the State and Federal governments. The function was previously conducted by the District Attorney's Office. DCSS has contracted with the Sheriff's Office to provide investigative support. DCSS handles over 100,000 cases of child support in the county.
The detectives assigned to this unit perform a number of functions. They are responsible for the service of the civil warrants relating to child support cases and for the enforcement of court ordered paternity testing. These tests can be completed in the field by the investigator or at the DCSS office. Detectives also conduct lifestyle surveillances. These are investigations utilized when there are concerns about the factual reporting of income by either party in a child support hearing. These investigations often lead to unreported sources of income and associated fraud/perjury cases.
Avoidance of court ordered payment by non-custodial parents has become very difficult. Mandated reporting of income, new hires, public assistance claims, contractor licenses, lottery winnings, tax returns, and numerous other sources, have created vast databases to search for non-custodial parents. Failure to pay court ordered support is a crime (PC 166.4). Failure to provide for a minor child is also a crime (PC270). Cooperation between law enforcement agencies has lead to dramatic increases in recovered revenue.
The overriding concern of the DCSS and the assisting investigators is to ensure the well-being and support of the children. The focus is on revenue recovery not on incarceration. The children in these cases are better served with the proper support needed to ensure a safe and healthy existence. However, once it becomes apparent that cooperation cannot be established with the non-custodial parent, steps that are more aggressive will be taken.
Home Detention
700 North Fifth Street Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811
916-874-1413
Public Hours:
Monday - Friday
7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Application packets need to be picked up within 5 days of being sentenced by the Courts.
Completed applications accepted Monday – Friday 8:00am – 2:00pm
The Home Detention program is an alternative type of confinement in lieu of the traditional form of incarceration. Participants on the program may be allowed to continue their employment and/or education, and in doing so are able to contribute to society as well as their family.
Placement on Home Detention is within the discretion of the Sheriff's Office. All Home Detention participants will be required to give weekly drug tests. The Home Detention program does not allow participants to use alcohol or products containing alcohol. The Home Detention program does not recognize the use of medicinal marijuana.
Power Program
Public Hours:
Monday - Thursday
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
916-874-1400
The Power Program is a community correctional program that helps offenders reintegrate into the community. This innovative program offers educational and pre- employment training to offenders in a non- custodial setting. The program also offers the offender something tangible, increases self esteem, and encourages compliance in the Sheriff's Office's alternative custody programs.
The community corrections concept is an extension of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office's commitment to the Community Oriented Policing philosophy. Restorative justice identifies crime as harm done both to a victim and the community. When these two concepts are combined, the end result is a correctional program that addresses the needs of both the victim and the offender through the educational process.
Sheriff's Work Project
700 North Fifth Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
916-874-1400
Public Hours:
OPEN Monday thru Friday, CLOSED Saturday, Sunday and all County Holidays
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sheriff's Work Project (SWP) is a voluntary labor on public works in lieu of jail confinement program in accordance with provisions of Section 4024.2 of the California Penal Code (SCC 705 § 2, 1987). It is intended to offer able-bodied adults who are convicted of a criminal offense in Sacramento County the opportunity to serve their sentence by performing certain manual labor tasks that are a public service to the citizens of Sacramento County. This work is done under the direct supervision of a Deputy Sheriff in lieu of completing a sentence by incarceration in the Sacramento County Jail. As of July 1, 2021, there are no fees associated with this program.
Sheriff’s Work Project is open to all sentenced inmates to apply for admission where the sentencing Judge has not specifically objected to you serving your commitment on Sheriff’s Work Project, there is no statutory prohibition from you doing so, and you have never been removed from or denied for the program. In order to qualify you must not have more than 90 days remaining to serve on your sentence and you must have sufficient time left on your probation term to complete your sentence before your probation expires. We do not currently accept referrals to or from another county.
New applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Consider arriving at our office as early as possible to ensure prompt service.
TOY PROJECT