The James A. Karnes Corrections Center
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has officially opened Phase One of the new, state-of-the-art James A. Karnes Corrections Center at 2551 Fisher Road. After breaking ground in 2017 alongside the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the facility is now operational. More than 600 Sheriff’s Deputies and civilian employees have completed extensive training to support this transition. The new facility enhances the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Division of Corrections, commitment to reducing recidivism and increasing public safety through effective reentry programs.
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The Sheriff’s Office completed Phase One which encompasses nearly 430-thousand square feet and has the capacity to house 867-inmates. During the design phase of the new facility, members of the FCSO Corrections Division toured the most modern jails in the United States and integrated best practices and ideas to best serve the inmates, the staff, and the community. The facility includes a detoxification unit, a mental health unit, and a medical unit, as well as dedicated classroom space in each housing unit to provide ongoing and effective education and programming.
“We know that 95-percent of all incarcerated persons will reenter the community at some point,” said Chief Deputy of Corrections, Geoff Stobart. “The ultimate goal is for inmates to leave us in a better place than when they arrived, and stop the revolving door of the jail.”
Making a Difference
The main operational philosophy practiced within the Division of Corrections is Strategic Inmate Management, or SIM, which promotes the principles of direct deputy-to-inmate interaction. This philosophy has been proven to be an effective approach to inmate supervision; with results being a safer, more humane environment for both inmates and staff.
Strategic Inmate Management principles include:
- Assessing the risk and need each inmate presents to develop strategies to more effectively manage their behavior.
- Using the risk and need assessments to make informed housing decisions and classify inmates to facilitate behavior
management.
- Provides services to avoid behavior problems that can result from a perceived deficiency of basic human needs.
- Defining and conveying expectations for inmate behavior.
- Supervising inmates to ensure inmate behavior meets Division expectations.
“Today’s Inmate is Tomorrow’s Neighbor”
Since most inmates will return to the community, opportunities for developing the skills necessary for self-sufficiency and addressing the systemic, root causes that bring people into contact with the justice system are provided through social, psychological, educational, vocational, and spiritual programs. Health care, housing, and social supports are key components for effective reentry.
Staff assigned to the Division of Corrections receive specialized training in Crisis Intervention, Strategic Inmate Management, Interpersonal Communications, Motivational Interviewing, Mental Health First Aid, and Cultural Diversity which supports the Division’s operating philosophy. The vision of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Division of Corrections, focuses on actively managing inmate behavior to produce a jail operation that is safe and secure for the inmates, staff and visitors.