Douglas County Sheriff

The Douglas County Sheriff's office seats in the city of Omaha in Nebraska and covers an area of about 331 square miles. It borders the Missouri River to the east, the Platte River to the west, Harrison Street to the south, and the Dutch Hall Road to the north. The county is arguably the most populated of all 93 counties in Nebraska, with a whopping population of around 571 327 citizens. Moreover, it features the state's largest city of Omaha. The county corrections department is under the management of the sheriff’s office who operates the local jails and detention centers. Ideally, the sheriff's department employs about 213 staff members featuring 97 civilian employees, 134 sworn officers, including the sheriff. The current sheriff is Thomas J. Wheeler, and his office is the largest in the whole of Nebraska. His department offers a variety of services such as the following:

• Patrol
• Criminal investigations
• Prisoner transportation
• Crime lab and forensic services
• Courthouse/civic center security
• Mental health and protective order service
• Sex offender monitoring
• Tax collection
• Civil process
• Foreclosure proceedings
• Warrant service

The sheriff’s office in this county was officially accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2005.

Community Service Programs

The sheriff's department works towards establishing solid biding ties with the community by fostering a good and open line of communication and actively attending to the community's needs and concerns. Consequently, the department is actively involved in all life-improvement and betterment engagements involving the county citizens. Ideally, under the crime prevention/community involvement unit, the department can cater to the Community Service Division and the Administrative Service Bureau. The Community Service Division establishes partnerships with local formal and informal community groups to improve the community through several joint engagements. For instance, the sheriff is fully involved in the community’s:

• Neighborhood Watch
• Homeowners Association Meetings
• Drug Awareness Presentation

County Employment Opportunities

The sheriff’s department puts up any new correctional officer opening on this site for the county citizens to apply. However, all other county job opportunities are often available on the County Human Resources website. While the positions are all open to all deserving citizens in this county, there are some thresholds that applicants have to meet. For example:

• An applicant must be over 19 years of age.
• They must have a high school diploma or GED and provide documentation
• Must be a US Citizen
• They must be in legal possession of a valid drivers license

The Douglas County Correctional Center

The sheriff’s office is the Douglas County Correctional Center custodian but operates under the county department of corrections. Ideally, the department is in charge of all the daily running of this facility dispensing various services to inmates and offering them basic needs while rehabilitating them accordingly. This facility was officially opened in the July of 1979 with 12 housing units that could hold 200 single beds. However, by 1983, the facility had gone through some renovations. For instance, the majority of the beds were double-bunked to accommodate more offenders at a capacity of 363 beds. Other renovations over the years feature the following: April 1989: An additional annex with eight dormitory-style housing units with a 354-bed capacity and two isolation cells. The total capacity shot up to 719 beds. June 2005: Nine more housing units, each with 62 beds and a 61 offender-capacity medical housing unit. The total capacity of this facility by then was about 1449 beds. 2016: The county voters approved more renovations in select areas to accommodate beneficial inmate projects such as painting, plumbing, windows, and lighting.

The Facility’s Administration

The facility day to day administration falls under the care of the following individuals in order of their positions:

• Michael Myers, MS, LMHP, CJM: Director of Corrections
• Amber M. Redmond, CJM: Deputy Director
• Debra J. Otwell: Administrative Services Manager
• Justine Wall, MS, LMHP: Rehabilitative Services Administrator
• Mary E Earley, CJM: Captain of Compliance and Safety
• Patrick H. West Jr: Captain of Security
• Leon Valquier, MPA, CJM: Captain of Staff Development

Onsite Rehabilitation-Related Services to the Offenders

In a bid to serve its rehabilitation and incarceration purpose as flawlessly and effectively as possible, this correctional facility operates in service units. Ideally, the inmates receive a variety of services from different departments, which aid their stay and provide an ideal environment for them to rehabilitate accordingly. Some of the services at the disposal of the offenders in this facility feature the following:

• Medical Care: The facility is accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care to dispense medical, dental, and mental health care to the offenders.
• Commissary Services: The facility allows the offenders to have commissary accounts to receive money from legal entities outside the jail. Moreover, it has an onsite commissary store where they can acquire commissary items.
• Food Services: The facility contracts external food service providers to feed its inmates.
• Library Services: Inmates have access to a luxury and a law library during their incarceration.
• Mailing Services
• Telephone Services
• Laundry Services

The Work Release Program

The offenders in this facility can actively participate in the work release program hosted at the resource center at 1709 Jackson St. This facility can accommodate up to 128 male and 60 offenders. The qualified offenders go to their daily jobs but return to the work release center at the end of the day. However, the facility monitors and conducts random checks on the inmates wherever they work.

Douglas County Sheriffs Office - Riddle Substation

Address

3601 North 156th Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68116

Phone

541-874-2760

Website

website

Douglas County Youth Center Information

State

Nebraska

City

Omaha

Postal Code

68105-1862

County

Douglas County

Phone Number

402-444-4767

Type

County Jail

Location

1301 South 41st Street, Omaha, NE, 68105-1862

Directions

Refer the map below to find the driving directions.

Nearby Jail / Prison