Jackson County Department of Corrections

CORRECTIONS
Priority 1: Safety

The Department of Corrections, through managing the Jackson County Detention Center, plays a crucial public safety role in our community.

The Department seeks to detain individuals -- all of whom have been arrested for a crime, but most of whom have not yet been convicted of committing that crime -- in a way that provides for maximum safety for the community, Corrections staff and the inmates, themselves.

That entails maintaining the facility to ensure safety and security, through locks, cameras and other security and communication systems. But it also includes health care to meet the physical and mental illness needs of inmates.

CLASSIFICATION
Each person arrested must be processed, which involves identity verification, background screening, searches and photographs. Many are booked and released upon posting bail.

Those unable to post bond or are ordered by the court to be held in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center while awaiting trial go through classification. The Detention Center houses those arrested for crimes ranging from petty theft to homicide, but classifies these inmates differently.

Classification assesses the risks posed by and needs of each inmate. The physically and mentally ill are separated from the healthy. Violent and disruptive inmates are separated from those who are non-violent and comply with Detention Center rules and policies.