The national spotlight has once again shined on Stanislaus County, this time in the booking of suspects at the Stanislaus County Jail in the A&E cable TV channel series, “Booked First Day In.”

The eight-episode series began on June 15 and concluded on August 3 but all episodes continue to be streamed to subscribers.

The series pulls back the curtain on what happens after someone is arrested. Every day an estimated 25,000 persons in America are arrested and booked into jail – some who make bail and some who end up staying for weeks, months and years at a time.

In the spring, Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse agreed to grant the film crew access to the jail booking area, believing the exposure “would be a great opportunity for our communities to see the excellent work that our jail staff does on a daily basis.” The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement on March 14 to allow Lucky 8 TV LLC to enter the jail and record video for the new series.

“Overall we’ve been very pleased with show,” Dirkse told the Courier. “The production company was very professional to work with and the show highlights some of the challenges of working in a custodial setting (jail). It’s a great way to show the professionalism of the deputies who work there and deal with the inmates. Quite frankly our county should be proud of the work they do, it’s a tough environment. I know I am.”

Dirkse said his jail will participate in the next season with filming to start within the next few weeks.

The show has been well received and is one of the top rated shows in the time slot, said Dirkse, who added response from the public has been “very positive.”

“I’ve only received one negative message from a local resident. Everything else has been very positive.”

Stanislaus County shares the spotlight in the series which also includes bookings are facilities in Virginia Beach and Flagler County in Florida.

Those featured on the show had to give consent to be filmed.

“Booked: First Day In” follows arrested individuals through the booking process, offering a rare look at the most unusual, bizarre and often tense bookings. Each episode follows the story of an arrestee as they move through the system and recount what ultimately led them to their time in jail. From petty offenses to serious crimes, viewers see the harrowing – sometimes amusing – adventure of arrestees throughout the booking process.

“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 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.”

The introductions to the Stanislaus County segments feature snippets of B roll video shot in various locations throughout the area, including drone shots of the Roberts Ferry Bridge, action at the La Grange Rodeo shot in April, traffic on J Street, the State Theater, the Modesto arch and railcars rolling down the tracks in downtown Modesto. Ceres is pretty much neglected despite the fact that the jail itself is within the city limits of Ceres but maintains the outdated address of Modesto, thus the neighbor to the north gets the tag line.

Turlock Police Officer Mark Alberti was one of the local law enforcement officers appearing in an episode. It occurred when he booked a frequent visitor to the jail named Michael, who was inebriated and annoying customers at the Turlock Panda Express while on a bender. The scene included a humorous exchange when Michael made a comment about Alberti, saying, “God, he’s gorgeous.”

Another episode showed the arrest of an Oakdale man who had been involved in a drunken driving accident.

In episode 6, another young man in Stanislaus County named Ivan was arrested for five felonies, including being a felon in possession of a handgun. He waited four hours to learn his bail was set at $160,000. After explaining he stole cars in Washington and was shot six times in his prior experience, Ivan was unable to come up with the 10 percent, or $16,000, so he was booked and spent five days in jail before seeing a judge. Bail was lowered to $50,000 and bailed after his father contacted an attorney. As he signs to be released, Deputy Alexander Ruezga asks, “Are we going to see you here again?” to which Ivan answers, “Oh hell no.” The deputy then replies, “Alright, we hear that all the time.  

In a number of shots the name of Sheriff Jeff Dirkse is featured prominently in the intake process.