HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The crime rate in the city and county is dropping. During an interview this week, Sheriff Randy Henderson talked about the new jail facility in the county and how it may be a factor. Henderson praised the new programs implemented at the Reno County Correctional Facility.

“I don’t have stats by saying how many people we have saved,” Sheriff Henderson said. “The stat that we do have is that we’ve had 22 who have graduated from the GED program, 14 of those who graduated have never returned to jail.”

The sheriff also talked about former inmates that have been successful after being released now becoming role models for those still in jail by coming back and talking about their success.

“We have inmates here who are returning to the community that come back in to talk to fellow inmates to get them to change their behavior,” Henderson said.

He says that occurs every quarter. They bring in people from the Oxford Houses and they talk with 10 to 12 inmates. “I’ll tell you, it makes a difference in these peoples lives,” Henderson said. “You just see the wheels turning, ‘these guys made it, I know I can make it too.'”

The jail has programs that allow some inmates to receive their GED and programs for fathers, among others.