The Alexander County Detention Center is located in the lower level of the Alexander County Courthouse. It provides secure confinement housing for males who are committed to the custody of the Sheriff of Alexander County. The current detention center was constructed in 1970 and is designed to house up to 29 inmates. Due to overcrowding issues and the outdated state of the facility, Alexander County is currently in the process of constructing a more modern Law Enforcement Center and Detention Facility that will house up to 168 inmates. According to current plans, site preparation is slated to begin in the Spring of 2011 with a completion time of 18 months.
Lt. Charles Odom currently oversees the daily operations of the Detention Center and serves as the Jail Administrator. The Detention Center is staffed by 6 full-time, certified Detention Officers as well as a number of part-time officers. In addition to the care and custody duties of the detention staff, they are also responsible for the transportation of confined inmates to and from the Caldwell County Detention Center where we currently have a number of contract bed spaces available for our use, as well as other facilities as needed.
Full-time Detention Officers
Officer Chris Blalock
Officer Tom Williams
Officer Robert Speaks
Officer Lisa Bumgarner
Officer James Benfield
Officer Debra Keller
Bonding Process
Once an individual is arrested and brought before a judicial official (Judge or Magistrate), the Conditions of Release (bond) is set by that official. These conditions must be met for that person to be released form custody prior to their court date. If a person has a secured bond, that amount can be satisfied in one of three ways:
- (Option 1) Paying the full amount of the bond in cash to the Clerk of Superior Court as a promissory measure to guarantee their appearance at all court dates for that particular case (the full amount is returned if the defendant is present at all court proceedings once the case is fully disposed of)
- (Option 2) An Alexander County landowner may use property they own as a guarantee against the defendant to ensure their appearance at all court dates. If the bond amount is greater than $2,500 then a current Alexander County Tax Statement must be presented to the Detention staff to prove there are no tax levies against the property at the time of application (unless a prior waiver is obtained from the Magistrate or the Alexander County Clerk of Superior Court).
- (Option 3) A bondsman may be contacted to post bond for the defendant. Bonding Agencies generally charge a fee of 15% of the bond total as a non-returnable service fee. These fees may vary for different bonding agencies. A current list of Bonding Agencies in Alexander County may be obtained from the Alexander County Detention Center or int he business section of the phone book. Please note that Detention Officers are not allowed to recommend bonding agencies.