By Dylan Woolf Harris
ELKO — A sheriff candidate
running on jail reform came closer to his platform than expected Thursday after
he was booked into custody for felony DUI.
About an hour after Ron
Rylander finished filing to run as the county’s top law enforcer, he was in
handcuffs and guided into a cop car.
Rylander, who gave an interview
to the Free Press before his arrest, called himself a dark horse candidate, in
part due to his “checkered past.”
While talking to the media,
police received a call from someone at the courthouse who reported an
intoxicated person, according to Lt. Ty Trouten.
Two police officers arrived at
the county courtyard and stayed in close proximity to Rylander. After Rylander
drove away, the police officers did as well.
Trouten said Rylander was
pulled over for making an improper turn and because the officer knew Rylander
did not have a valid license.
Rylander, 51, was booked into
Elko County Jail for third-offense DUI, driving with a suspended license,
driving without proof of insurance and driving left of the center line. Bail
was set at $21,050.
In addition to prior DUI
arrests, Rylander has been arrested for disturbing the peace for making
repeated non-emergency calls to Elko Central Dispatch.
Because of his familiarity with
the jail system, Rylander said before leaving the county complex Thursday, he
offers voters a unique perspective. His platform is centered around jail
reform. Rylander opposes Sheriff Jim Pitts’ newly announced policy to bill
inmates for food, medical visits and booking costs.
Rylander argued the mandatory
fees will ruin the jail’s commissary system.
Furthermore, Rylander believes
the new policy will lead to expensive lawsuits.
“(Pitts) is going to end up
getting sued and end up costing the county more than it’s worth,” he said.
Rylander wants jail staff to
undergo more training, and the jail to increase the number of low-risk inmates
it grants “trusty” status, a designation for inmates who are allowed to work
during their incarceration.
“There’s only one dorm in there
for trusties and it’s packed,” he said.
A greater emphasis should be
placed on rehabilitating inmates, Rylander said. Along with religious services,
inmates should have the opportunity to get treatment and attend support groups,
such as AA, he said.
If elected sheriff, Rylander
said he will work with Elko Police Chief Ben Reed to continue communication and
collaboration between the two agencies.
Rylander has lived in Elko for
about 23 years. He’s formerly been employed as an environmental engineer at
various mines and worked as a down-hole surveyor for a mining support company.