White County Sheriff Q7 Candidate Responses

The Main Street Journal – Sparta has been listening to the community. Over the past several weeks, readers have submitted questions they want answered ahead of the 2026 election—and we’ve taken those directly to your White County Sheriff candidates.

Here is your seventh question, and answers from those candidates who chose to respond.

Over the past 8 years, the Jail has had a complete turn around, going from on the risk of being decertified to being one of the top jails in the state of TN. How do you plan to continue this course for the jail?

STEVE PAGE: On day one of being the sheriff I started planning how to fix the issues in the jail. I went to a meeting with TDOC ( Tennessee Department of Corrections), and I asked them to give me one year to fix the issues with the White County Jail. I have done that with great success.

The training that I have my Corrections Deputies attend every year consist of. NIJO Jail CON, and Program Summit, Spark Medical Mental Health Training. All Officers attend CIT Basic training.

Selected Staff have been certified instructors in CIT, Internal Affairs Certified and Trained, Use of Force Analysis Certified and Trained, Narcotics Investigation certified and Trained Facility Compliance Officer Certified and Trained, PREA Investigation Certified and Trained Corrections Specific Firearms Instructor certified and Trained, Defensive Tactics Instructor Certified and Trained, Thinking for a Change Instructors Certified and Trained, Child Passenger Safety certified and Trained, Seeking Safety Instructor Certified and Trained, Living in Balance Instructors Certified and Trained, TORO Instructor Certified and Trained, Taser Instructor Certified and Trained, O/C Instructor Certified and Trained 3/C Instructor Certified and Trained, Pepper Ball Instructor Certified and Trained Correction Special Operations/Response Instructor Certified and Trained TOG/Tier 3 Operator certifications, Less Lethal/Chemical munitions/ Distraction Device/ Impact Instructor Certified and Trained.

White County Sheriff office offers training and training operation development to other counties and has had a specific role in the training development statewide at the invitation of the TN Correction Institute.

Training and Education is the keys to success; our White County Jail is proof that our hard work is paying off.

DANIEL TRIVETTE: As a leader it is important that you recognize accomplishments in an organization no matter how those accomplishments are achieved. The one key accomplishment my opponent has repeatedly discussed is his contribution to our jail. I will agree that this was a good step forward and that he did select the right individuals to rebuild the jail program to where it is today. While there is always room for improvement I think it is important to give credit to where credit is due. I am aware that the current administration is working to achieve a Tier 2 accreditation. I will be looking at the current progress of that process and will evaluate if the agency needs to be focusing resources on this project or focusing them in other areas in which the agency is not necessarily facing a passing grade. Too often law enforcement administration's focus all resources on one process and completely neglect others. A leader must be able to correctly balance resources to deal with the multiple issues the agency is facing in order to not let another part of the agency to fail simply to build up one aspect of the agency. I want to conduct an audit on the jail and look forward to keeping most if not all programs currently operating in the jail. I am a big believer in faith-based programs and allowing our local churches to be involved in the rehabilitation process. I do believe that the sheriff office needs to be able to work with the churches and nonprofits in our community to bridge the gap from when an inmate exits the jail and re enters society. I think it is time to find a way to bridge that gap to truly lower recidivism.

As one of the few sheriff’s candidates in the history of the Sheriff Office that has ever started his career in the jail, I believe that I will be able to better respond to the needs of the corrections officers that work within the facility. Often the individuals who work in the jail are forgotten and put on the back burner on the list of priorities.

Unfortunately, oftentime recidivism is touted when in actuality it is the lack of enforcement that is the true reason why individuals are no longer incarcerated. While there are success stories very evident in our county, when I see claims of low crime rates and recidivism rates it is often because criminal enforcement not criminal activity is down.

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