Jefferson County Sheriff, Nebraska and County Jail Information

Jefferson County Sheriff

Updated on: February 1, 2024

Jefferson County is located in the southern part of Nebraska. The prefix for the county is 33, which is per Nebraska’s licensing plate system. The prefix 33 means that the county had the 33^rd largest number of registered vehicles in 1922 when the licensing plate system kicked off. Jefferson County was incorporated in 1856. Ideally, the county is named after the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. As per the 2010 census statistics, the county has a population of 7,547 citizens. The seat for the county is situated in Fairbury, and the current sheriff for the county is Nels Sorensen.

The Sheriff’s Department has the mission to enhance the quality of life of the county citizens by cooperating with the public and within the United States’ constitutional framework to preserve peace, enforce the law, reduce fear and provide for a safe environment for all citizens. Alongside the help of five deputies and an office manager, the sheriff is responsible for heading the county.

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Every day)

The county, through the sheriff’s department, has adopted an automated technology to serve criminal justice. The system offers an immediate notification to registered users if there is a change in the status of an offender. This information includes details on custody or information on arrest within a short duration. The same information is conveyed through telephone, pager or letters. Moreover, the VINE provides information on the location of an inmate, the expiration of a sentence, and other information relevant to a particular situation.

The phone number for the VINE service is (1-877-634-8463). This number is toll-free and is in operation 24 hours a day, every day. Calls continue for 24 hours or until the event of a successful notification with the registered person’s personal identification number.

Fraud Prevention

The sheriff’s office is responsible for ensuring that the county is free from fraud. These fraudulent activities include theft, computer fraud, forgery fraud, exploitation, and worthless documents. Worthless documents involve situations where an individual issues checks without sufficient funds. The sheriff’s department directs that people should not accept checks from strangers. However, where it is the only means of exchange, then they have the right to ask for proper identification. The issuance of checks without sufficient funds is a violation of the law, making it illegal. The highly targeted people are the elderly and those in business. Therefore, due diligence is necessary during the interaction.

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault

Jefferson County, through the sheriff’s department, advocates against domestic abuse and sexual assault. As a result, the office has a 24-hour crisis center, Hope Crisis Center. The contact detail for the center is 800-876-6238. Also, the sheriff’s office has an emergency contact telephone number which is 729-2284 or 800-775-2126. Before a matter escalates, all victims should report immediately.

Jefferson County Jail

Jefferson County Jail is an adult medium-security facility situated at 606 3^rd Street, Fairbury, Nebraska. This facility is a county institution that holds over 122 inmates from within the county and surrounding towns and municipalities. Although the County Sheriff’s Office acts as the overseer of the facility’s safety inspection, the maintenance and operation of the facility are under the Department of Corrections, Nebraska.

Despite this facility hosting already condemned prisoners, it also hosts inmates awaiting sentence and court hearings. Ideally, the mission of this County Jail is to reduce crime in the county no matter the cost and providing safety to the citizens and their households.

Inmate Intake and Release

The facility is open to accepting all adult inmates from all over the county under the governorship of the Sherriff’s Department and the county municipal police department. However, inmates are open for release through bails and bonds set by the judge based on the offense committed for a later court hearing date. On the contrary, in the state of Nebraska, commercial bail does not work. Consequently, the county law does not accept commercial companies to act as agents on behalf of the arrested suspects when paying the bail. As a result, inmates can either pay the bond themselves or be assisted by family members or friends.

What happens to the convicted or sentenced inmates?

When a judge passes sentence and an inmate gets a sentence exceeding one year, the inmate joins a Federal Bureau of Prisons' facility or the Nebraska State Prison. On the other hand, inmates served with a sentence not exceeding a year serve their sentence here according to the judge’s judgment.

Illegal immigrants convicted under this county’s laws are subject to finish their sentence in their respective detention centers approved by Immigration Custody and Enforcement. Moreover, they are subject to placement under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for immediate or later deportation after serving their sentences.

Record Keeping

The facility management is flawless on account of the incredible inmate classification system of record keeping. Ideally, this system makes management easier but also effective. It is effective in helping the jail staff in assigning duties and responsibilities to the inmates. This process is fair, meaning there is no discrimination based on sex, religion, nationality, age, or race. The system comes in handy to ensure that everyone enjoys every decision made by the staff.

Contraband

According to the sheriff’s department, contraband is any item not issued to the inmates or bought from the commissary. Moreover, any items that are not in their original form and may have effects different from their intended purpose may also pass as contraband. These items may not be illegal or dangerous, but the administration does not allow them in the inmates' environment. The jail staff is always alert and on the lookout for any contraband goods in the facility. Consequently, if an inmate is found with such in their possession, it could lead to severe repercussions.