Tag Archives: Coconino County Detention Facility

Cost for local attorneys to advertise services in Detention Facility reduced

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FLAGSTAFF — In 2015 the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office developed a unique program by which attorneys are given the opportunity to advertise their services at the Coconino County Detention Facility.  Attorneys who chose to invest in this advertising were able to reach out to individuals who were in need of legal services. At the same time, the advertising purchase assisted in funding important programs in the Coconino County Detention Facility to include the Inmate Welfare Fund.

The cost of having legal service advertisement displayed in a 14” x 11” space in our detention lobby at the onset of this program was $5,000 per year, but we are reducing that annual fee to $2,500.  This works out to a little more than $200 per month.  The cost includes printing a color poster with a legal advertisement and the acrylic display frame with a holder for business cards.

The advertisements in the lobby can assist individuals coming into the jail lobby in connecting with legal assistance. All moneys generated from renting an advertisement space will go to the Inmate Welfare Fund which supports important programs such as Exodus (our in-custody drug and alcohol treatment program), re-entry programs, and other services that directly benefit our inmate population.

We believe that this will be a win-win for participating attorneys and the inmates in the detention facility.  Interested attorneys may contact Kathleen Levinson at 928-226-5074 or klevinson@coconino.az.gov for details on this program.

Coconino County Detention Facility Receives Donation of a Baptistery

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FLAGSTAFF — The American Rehabilitation Ministry which is a non-profit organization based in Missouri has donated a new full immersion portable heated baptistery valued at $1,700 to the Coconino County Detention Facility. Detention staff will schedule the use of the baptistery on a regular and frequent basis to inmates who request it. Inmates who request a baptism will meet with the full time Jail Chaplin who will explain the process to them and its significance. Once the inmate has a full understanding of the process he or she will be scheduled for baptism.

In the past the Jail Chaplin and other religious volunteers have received requests from inmates to be baptized, but we did not have that capability. The Jail Chaplin contacted other detention facilities to learn what policies they had in place regarding baptisms. He learned that many agencies offer baptisms on a regular basis. He researched the availability of full immersion baptisteries. The Rescued Not Arrested non-profit group that provides bibles to prisons and jails throughout the country including our detention facility assisted our Jail Chaplin in identifying The American Rehabilitation Ministry as a resource and in contacting them. It should be noted that the Rescued Not Arrested organization also provides religious volunteers to minister to inmates in our facility on a weekly basis.

The American Rehabilitation Ministry provided the baptistery to our detention facility free of charge. The Sheriff’s Office paid for the shipping and several upgrades such as the heater.

At the Coconino County Detention facility we strive to provide our inmate population with opportunities to improve their quality of life while they are with us and once they have been released. The baptistery is yet another way we can provide religious services to the inmates in our care.

Local Attorneys Given the Opportunity to Advertise Services in Detention Facility

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has developed a unique program by which attorneys are given the opportunity to advertise their services at the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Attorneys who choose to invest in this advertising will be able to reach out to individuals who may be in need of legal services. At the same time, an advertising purchase will assist in funding important programs in the Coconino County Detention Facility to include the Inmate Welfare Fund.

The cost of advertisement displayed in a 14” x 11” space in the detention lobby is $5,000 per year. This works out to a little more than $400 per month which is far cheaper than many other forms of advertising. The cost includes the cost of printing a color poster of personalized advertisement and the acrylic display frame with a holder for business cards.

The advertisements in the lobby can assist individuals coming into the jail lobby in connecting with legal assistance. All moneys generated from renting an advertisement space will go to the Inmate Welfare Fund which supports important programs such as Exodus (our in-custody drug and alcohol treatment program), re-entry programs, and other services that directly benefit our inmate population.

Sweat Lodge Provides Inmates Access to Traditional Ceremonies

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SweatlodgeFLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has several programs to address the traditional needs of our inmate population. One of these programs is the provision of a sweat lodge ceremony, and recently our facility conducted two Sweat Lodge Ceremonies for inmates.

For some Native American cultures the Sweat Lodge Ceremony provides purification and balance of body, mind, spirit and emotions and can serve as a Prayer Circle, or a Healing Circle transforming the Old Self into the New Self. Rocks are heated in a fire pit outside the structure and then brought inside and placed in a small hole in the ground; there is no fire inside the structure. The ceremony is conducted in four parts and might last as long as three hours with breaks. A traditional Messenger helps perform the ceremony. We plan to make Sweat Lodge Ceremonies available to the inmate population on a monthly schedule.
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This is one of many programs our facility and staff offer to help inmates initiate positive life changes. The programs include opportunities for life changes supported by spiritual, religious, educational, health, and substance abuse treatment approaches. While the Sheriff’s Office strives to make available recognized religious, recovery and a variety of self-improvement programs to the diverse cultures representing in the inmate population, we also recognize that approximately 50% of the people in our custody are of Native American descent. For this reason our programs include Sweat Lodge and a Hogan which may be unique compared to programs offered at facilities elsewhere in U.S. detention facilities. Partnership with the Navajo Behavioral Health Services has been vital to the success of many of these programs.

At the Coconino County Detention Facility we believe that time spent incarcerated can be turned into productive time, and inmates can leave our facility with improved life skills and a determination to make positive changes in their lives. Many of the programs provided to inmates are funded by the Inmate Welfare Fund which comes from commissary and phone usage fees. We are committed to enhancing inmate programs which benefit not only the inmates in custody but also can have broader reaching effects on our community as a whole.

Inmate Death at Coconino County Detention Facility

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FLAGSTAFF – Clinton Lee Davis, age 49 of Idaho, was discovered in his cell on Wednesday evening and was subsequently determined to be deceased as the result of suicide by hanging.

Mr. Davis has been an inmate at the Coconino County Detention Facility since April, 13 2014 when he was booked by Page Police Department for multiple criminal offenses to include Burglaries, Thefts, Criminal Damage and Prohibited Weapons Possession. Mr. Davis also was being held on an out of state warrant for original offenses of Burglaries and Thefts.

Prior to his death Mr. Davis was assigned to a two person cell in a housing unit. The housing unit has a common day use area that inmates are allowed to use. At approximately 4:42 pm Detention Officers were alerted by inmates assigned to the housing unit that Mr. Davis appeared to be hanging from a ladder attached to a two person bunk bed. Detention Officers immediately responded and placed him on the floor at which point they began life saving efforts to include CPR. A Registered Nurse assigned to the facility also responded with an AED device.

Detention Officers and the nurse continued to administer lifesaving efforts until the arrival of Guardian Medical personnel who assumed medical care of Mr. Davis. He did not respond to life saving efforts and was pronounced deceased. Mr. Davis was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office and Sheriff’s personnel notified his next of kin.

At this point in the investigation no foul play is suspected and it appears that Mr. Davis died of a self-inflected injury.

Detention Officer Arrested for Unlawful Sexual Conduct in a Correctional Facility

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FLAGSTAFF – On Tuesday, April 8, 2014 a staff member of the Coconino County Detention Facility spoke with an adult female inmate who told him that a detention officer was engaging in inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature with her. This information was given to the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation division and an internal affairs investigation was initiated. Sheriff’s Office staff contacted the Flagstaff Police Department and requested they conduct the criminal investigation of the offense.

As a result of the investigation by Flagstaff Police Detectives, 50 year-old Pete C. Gomez of Flagstaff, a Detention Officer II with the agency, was arrested for the offense of one count of Arizona Revised Statute 13-1419A (Unlawful Sexual Conduct in a Correctional Facility).

Gomez’s has been employed at the detention facility for five years. Gomez is on administrative leave as the internal investigation is continued by Sheriff’s Office Detectives. Flagstaff Police Detectives are continuing the criminal investigation.