Pierce County Nebraska Sheriff and County Jail Information

Pierce County Sheriff

Updated on: February 20, 2023

Pierce County is nested in the northeastern edge of Nebraska, with its official county seat in the city of Pierce. This county is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is represented by the prefix 40 according to the state’s license plate system. Ideally, this means that this county had the 40^th largest number of motor vehicles register when the licensing system was established in 1922. The county's zip codes are 68747, 68765, 68767, and 68769, and it is named after President Franklin Pierce. The current county sheriff is Rick Eberhardt.

County Job Opportunities

The county sheriff's department offers job opportunities to the citizens in various capacities. For instance, the deputy sheriff comes second in command after the sheriff and oversees the daily operations at the county jail. There are also detention officers who maintain order and are in charge of the custody and care of the offenders. Moreover, at the grassroots, the inmates are under the care of individual detention officers in their respective pods. These are just but a few job positions at the county jail; there are many other professional and casual ones. However, no matter what position you might be seeking; you have to meet some conditions such as the following:

Be over the age of 21.
Pass a Criminal, Credit, and a drug test.
Have a valid Driver's License.
An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.
Have a good level of fitness.
Possess a High School Diploma or GED
Be a US Citizen.
You have to be in good health.

Victim Notification

The sheriff’s department offers any information about offenders to their victims through the Justice Victim System (VNS). Ideally, this system automatically updates the victims when anything related to the case of their offenders happens. To access information, a victim is given a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a PIN that they can use to open the system over the internet. The victims can access information such as future court hearings, historical court events, or any other detailed information about an offender. The VNS site is often updated daily, and you can access any new information through email.

Pierce County Jail

Pierce County Jail is a medium-security correctional facility located at 111 W Court St 7 in Pierce, Nebraska. This is a local detention facility under the sheriff’s department that accommodates locally apprehended offenders. Most often than not, this jail holds inmates before their trials and sentencing in local courts. As such, the offenders do not stay here for long; in fact, the maximum time that an inmate can be in this jail is two years, and this only applies to sentenced offenders. Each year this jail features over 2412 bookings at a daily intake capacity of 71 offenders under the care of 143 staff members. Most offenders are from the sheriff's department, but the facility also admits offenders from the US Marshal's Service and the Pierce Police Department.

Pre-trial Release Arrangements

The offenders who come to this jail do not last for more than 72 hours before their trials or sentencing. Those arrested for misdemeanors such as DIY can seek any pre-trial release arrangements and be let loose. However, those who are here for severe crimes such as murder and robbery may not qualify for release on these arrangements. Some of the pre-trial release arrangements that the offenders can explore include:

Bail
Probation
Pre-trial services caseload
Own recognizance with an agreement to appear in court

Moreover, already sentenced offenders who are already serving their time can also go free early enough on account of the following arrangements:

Early release for good behavior
Work release
House arrest

Inmate Intake Process

Everything that happens in this correctional facility happens for the sake of the safety and security of the public and offenders. Consequently, the inmate intake process is a well-synchronized process that follows some steps that feature the following:

The inmate is placed in a holding cell as they wait for the processing procedure.
An inmate answers several questions such as their full name, birth date, emergency contact, and addresses.
The inmate provides information about their medical and mental history
An inmate is given an Identification Number.
The jail staff takes inmate’s fingerprints and mugshots. ‘
If an inmate has some personal property, it goes to the storage room.
An inmate can make a call to let their loved ones know of their arrest to post bail or request for an attorney.
If an inmate will not go free on bond, they receive prison clothing and they eventually get a housing facility.

The Discharge Procedure

The discharge process is not as complicated as the intake process. Ideally, this takes only 15 minutes, and the quicker an offender posts bail, the faster they go free. Moreover, if your charges are too minor, you might escape with a warning or a little fine. However, if you are going free after serving your full time, it could take a little longer. Of course, you have to wait to sign out and get your property before leaving the facility.