Here’s what to expect from new A&E show featuring Stanislaus County jail
The Stanislaus County jail and its personnel are prominently featured in a new A&E Network program about the booking process that premieres Thursday night.
The 16-episode series, called “Booked: First Day In,” airs weekly at 7 p.m.
“We felt that this would be a great opportunity for our communities to see the excellent work that our jail staff does on a daily basis,” said Sheriff Jeff Dirkse. “Intake is the first step in the booking process, and many times arrestees are being brought in still under the influence or in a mental health crisis and can be difficult to work with. Our staff is highly trained to deal with these individuals in a caring and professional manner.”
Jails from counties in Virginia, Florida and Mississippi also appear in the show, which “follows arrested individuals through America’s booking process, offering an extraordinary look at the most unusual, bizarre and often tense bookings,” according to the network.
“Each episode follows the story of an arrestee, with their permission, as they move through the system and recount what ultimately led them to their time in jail. From petty offenses to serious crimes, viewers will be taken on a harrowing adventure while they watch the arrestees throughout the booking process.”
In addition to educating the public about the booking process in California, how it compares to other states, and the roles of jail staff, the show is an opportunity to address misconceptions, said sheriff’s Lt. Tom Letras.
“In my experience, there is a common misperception that jail is this filthy, dirty dark hole and everyone is treated like they are guilty and there is no care,” he said. “I think people will see how empathetic and professional our staff is.”
Viewers also will get to know the people who are being booked, beyond the crimes they are accused of.
“You’ll realize that not everyone who goes to jail is a bad person. They are people who made a mistake,” Letras said. “You will see a mix of repeat offenders as well as people who have never experienced the criminal justice system before.”
A production crew was in the Stanislaus jail eight to 10 hours a day, five days a week for about two and a half months.
Filming for the show just wrapped up Monday. It began March 23, about a week after the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a contract with the production company Lucky 8 TV LLC.
The same company also produces “60 Days In,” A&E’s No. 1 show, which follows volunteer undercover “inmates” in county jails across the country to document life behind bars.
Letras, who worked with Lucky 8 on the contract with the county, said the production company asked the Sheriff’s Office a few years ago to participate in “60 Days In” but the county had concerns about violating inmates’ rights by filming in the housing unit.
In contrast, “Booked: First Day In” is filmed only in the intake unit of the jail, and everyone on camera — law enforcement, civilian jail staff or arrestee — signed waivers agreeing to appear on and be interviewed for the show, Letras said.
There still were concerns along the way, Letras said, but all of them were addressed before filming started.
These, according to Letras, were some of the terms of the agreement:
“This isn’t reality TV in that there is no manufactured drama.” If the production crew missed something, there would be no reenactments.
“They were not acting as our agent.” The footage belongs to A&E and the network is not providing any of it to law enforcement for purposes of prosecution. It is possible for an attorney to subpoena A&E for footage.
Several law enforcement agencies (Letras declined to name them) within the county did not agree to have their officers or agency insignias featured on the show.
No inmate with severe mental illness could be interviewed or filmed.
Any inmate who was intoxicated during booking must have signed a second waiver when sober.
