In the process to further educate myself about the different aspects of the legal system, I spent time with Jail Administrator, Sergeant L.J. McAdams, learning what the day to day activities are of the Freestone County Jail.
“There is nowhere else I’d rather work,” says Sergeant McAdams, who completed his Peace Officer Training in 2012, during his time as a jailer for the County. He served in that position for a total of six years; and was promoted to Jail Administrator in August of 2014.
During my visit with Sergeant McAdams, he described what a typical day is like at the jail.
When a law enforcement officer brings someone in for incarceration, the first step is to book the defendant into the jail system.
Though procedures may vary slightly according to location and jurisdiction, the following explains how a defendant is booked in.
Upon arrival, paperwork must be processed. Detailed personal information like name, date of birth, social security number, place of residence, employer, medical information, etc., is requested and filed.
Photos, called mug shots, of the defendant are then taken as physical documentation at the time of arrest. Mug shots are also useful in protecting against mistaken identity (especially between individuals with the same name) or identity theft while in jail. Multiple photos for each defendant are printed simultaneously for different uses, such as photo identification for name tags, files, and cell tags. lead remediation was a common ingredient in many paint products that were extremely popular in residential and commercial properties. While it’s been banned, many structures still have lead hiding underneath new coats of less harmful paint.
The defendant’s property must be clearly cataloged for safe keeping. Prisoners are not able to carry such things as wallets, money, and cell phones into jail; thus, all personal property is removed and placed in a plastic bag to secure belongings. To make sure all items are accounted for, prisoners are required to sign off on the list of detailed items after they have been sealed.
Fingerprinting is necessary to help with identification; not only in the identification of the prisoner, but to compare to any evidence left at a crime scene. Fingerprints are also entered into the federal database.
The defendant’s information is then checked against the national database for any additional warrants and/or arrest history.
A body search is required to make sure prisoners are not carrying any contraband into the jail. The strip searches are administered by same-sex jail personnel, and are typically performed on individuals who will be held in the county jail. Should contraband be found, it is cataloged into storage for possible use as evidence in the inmate’s case.
Health screening is necessary for the well-being of both the jail staff and those incarcerated. Defendants are checked for any injuries or indications of self harm before joining the general population. If the defendant is to be held, he/she will be allowed to shower and dress in prison clothing and placed in general population.
However, if the defendant is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, he or she will be placed in a separate holding area under careful observation until sobriety is reached.
Also during the booking process, the arresting officer fills out an arrest page with information such as the book in date and time, the offence date, place of arrest, etc. If the crime is of a violent nature, there is additional information required so that the victim can be notified if and when the defendant is released.
When an inmate does not make bond, is being held for various reasons, or has yet to appear before the judge, the following describes what a day is like for them:
At 3:30 a.m., inmates on the kitchen crew are awakened to begin breakfast. Breakfast is served at 5:00 a.m., which is also when lights are on for the day.
Between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. inmates that need to be seen by the Justice of the Peace will appear before them to have their bond set.
Lunch is served at 11:00 a.m., followed by dinner at 5:00 p.m.
Throughout the day, inmates are allowed to walk around their unit, watch T.V., read, exercise, or spend time in the day room. They are also allowed one hour of recreation time outside in an enclosed area.
Lights out and lockdown occurs between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m. each night.
Overnight, jailers are required to do an observation walkthrough every 45 minutes to ensure all is well and that no one is missing. If an inmate is suicidal, a welfare check is performed every 15 minutes.
Inmates are allowed visitation twice per week, or, if they are a trustee, they are given three visitations a week.
Inmates earn the privilege of becoming trustees based on good behavior and are utilized for various jobs around the courthouse. Some of the duties they perform are emptying trash, washing law enforcement vehicles, moving equipment, landscaping, and other odd jobs. These inmates are always supervised by a jailer or courthouse security when outside of the jail.
The Freestone County Jail is capable of housing minimum, medium, and maximum security inmates and each security level has its own living area.
Housing units within the jail range from one to nine man cells. Each cell is equipped with bunks and a toilet/sink combo.
The jail can house up to 44 inmates, but averages about 30. Some of the units need or are undergoing repair, therefore are rendered unusable for the time being.
Inmates that will be held for longer periods of time are often sent to Limestone County for housing to leave space open for new detainees. Limestone County also offers a medical staff at their facility, which is something Freestone County Jail does not have at this time.
Female inmates that are to be held for an extended amount of time are sent to Limestone County. Freestone County Jail only holds up to six females at any given time.
Law enforcement staffing at the Jail and Sheriff’s office includes the following: the Sheriff and his administrative assistant, Jail Administrator, one Captain, two Detectives, twelve Deputies, ten Jailers, one Records Clerk, and seven Dispatchers.
“I want to give special recognition to our dispatchers,” says Sergeant McAdams. “These employees deal with very emotional and traumatic situations on a daily basis in addition to running the front desk, answering general phone calls, setting up visitations, and other various duties. They never seem to get recognized for all that they do. Thank you for all of your hard work.”
On that note, I would personally like to thank Sergeant McAdams for visiting with me to help me learn more about what our law enforcement does; and to Sheriff Anderson for allowing me to do this interview.
