Lenard Vare
Kyle, TX 78640
Office: 707-430-7568
Lenard Vare has over 28 years of practical experience in inmate management in both jails and prisons in CA and NV. He served as a prison Warden with the State of Nevada for four years managing various types of prisons and correctional facilities. He served as the Director and administrator of the Napa County Jail system in California and retired in 2018. Lenard's expertise is in inmate classification, security audits, policy development, program design, high-risk inmate transportation, organizational development, and training law enforcement and correctional personnel in topics related to inmate management. He has served as a criminal investigator and hostage/crisis negotiator, supervised fugitive recovery teams, conducted internal affairs investigations, and operated community-based correctional facilities. He has also served as a criminal justice faculty teaching courses at the undergraduate level at local colleges. He is a certified jail manager and certified project management professional. Lenard has also worked as a COO over an international electronic monitoring company that also provided treatment and day reporting centers to criminal justice agencies. He has provided his expertise to both plaintiffs and defense counsel in a variety of cases in multiple states.
Lenard is the author of the book - Elephant Keepers: Reflections of a Prison Warden. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNFSNJHY/ref=tmm_kin_title_sr?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700140955&sr=8-1
- Correctional Healthcare
- Criminalistics
- Criminology
- Gangs
- Informants
- Jail Suicide
- Jails & Prisons
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- Security Management
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Certified Jail Manager - American Jails Association
Project Management Professional - Project Management Institute
BS - Criminal Justice Administration
MS - Justice Management - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Past Vice President - California Jail Programs Association
Past Member - Crime Stoppers of Napa Valley
Past Member - International Association of Chiefs of Police
Past Board Member - Lao Family Foundation (a non-profit organization) - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: I have taught over 30 courses in criminal justice at the undergraduate level at local colleges. Topics included courses on diversity in the workplace, use of force, correctional management, jail operations, etc. I have also presented various topics at corrections academies in both California and Nevada. I have guest lectured at UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno and local community colleges in California.
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 60 plus cases.
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Jail riot and use of force;
Jail deaths;
Jail suicides;
Prison homicides;
Sexual assaults of prisoners in custody;
Quality of care in custody;
Inmate transportation;
Inmate classification.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 40%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 60%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: Numerous.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2023.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: I have been qualified in both Federal and State courts in California.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 5
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 10
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: I am able to provide consulting, case reviews, reports, site inspections, training, staff development, audits, and investigations. I have been retained by law enforcement agencies to conduct in-custody death investigations. I have consulted with attorneys and provided assistance on prison homicide cases by reviewing documents, reports, and evidence in assisting with trial preparation.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: I charge $250 an hour with a 20-hour retainer prior to the start of work.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: My rate is $250 an hour for all services.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: My rate is $250 an hour for all services. However, depositions require travel and other expenses that would be billed at cost. My rate for depositions is a flat fee of $1000 for up to 4 hours of my time with an hourly rate of $250 for any duration past that time. Travel time is billed at $100 per hour. Court appearances are billed at $2500 per day regardless of time plus travel and other direct expenses.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: My rate is $250 an hour for all services. However, testifying at a trial will require travel and other expenses that would be billed at cost. I also have a $2500 per day minimum for trial testimony regardless of the time.
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Travel will be based out of Austin, Texas. I would travel economy class and depending upon the agreement with the attorney, I might be able to continue working while traveling at the rate of $250 per hour. If I am not working during travel, travel time is billed at $100 per hour. Additional fees may apply at direct cost for copies, parking, vehicle rentals, etc.
Available Upon Request