Skip to Main Content

Jail

 

 

The Jefferson County Jail, also known as the W.C. "Dub" Brassell Adult Detention Center (DBDC) is under the leadership and direction of Jail Administrator, Chief Deputy Jimmy "Bo" Hudson.

 

Hudson, Jimmy PIC.jpg

Jimmy "Bo" Hudson
Chief Deputy-Jail Administrator

Admin Phone No. 870.541.4620

Booking Phone No. 870.541.1921

Admin Facsimile 870.541.4624

Booking Facsimile 870.541.9625 

BIO OF CHIEF DEPUTY JIMMY "BO" HUDSON

Chief Deputy Hudson is a 28-year law enforcement veteran, completing law enforcement basic training at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) in East Camden. He is a Law Enforcement Professional Instructor and has worked in many divisions throughout his career including Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Internal Affairs, Narcotics, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team.

From April 2018 through June 2022, Hudson was assigned to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office Tactical Diversion Unit, where he and fellow Task Force Officers were charged with investigating, disrupting, and dismantling people and/or organizations suspected of violating the Controlled Substances Act or other local, state, and federal statutes pertaining to illicit drugs.

Hudson is a 1994 graduate of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a minor in English. Hudson also earned an Associate Degree from Arkansas State University in Applied Science, and an Associate Degree in Security Administration from the Community College of the Air Force. Hudson is a military veteran and served in Military Police Units in the Air Force, Army, and Navy, and was a certified Range Master and a Close Quarters Combat Instructor.

 

 

vacant150.bmp


Major-Assistant Jail Administrator

 

BIO OF MAJOR 

Vacant Position.

 

HISTORY OF THE JAIL

In 2007, Jefferson County Officials opened the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center, a new state of the art facility that nearly triples the number of jail beds in Jefferson County.

Jefferson County and Pine Bluff had long been considered a hot bed of crime for some time.   

The opening of the new W.C. "Dub" Brassell Adult Detention Center with its 310 beds changes the past issues of lack of space for offenders.  The new detention facility affords our agency the opportunity to be able to do as we promised to the citizens of Jefferson County. That promise is that we are committed to locking up the criminal element here in Jefferson County, something that we have not been able to do for a longtime.

Previously because of detainee overcrowding issues, Jefferson County was forced to house detainees at other facilities throughout the state. 

The new state of the art facility is equipped with video surveillance for monitoring detainees as well as video visitation for the visiting families of detainees. The surveillance equipment also ensures that the overall security of the facility is maintained.

JAIL OPERATIONS

All persons who are arrested and taken into custody are transported to the Detention Center for booking and incarceration. The Detention Center is divided into separate housing areas for low/medium security risk males, high security risk males, and female detainees, as well as isolation and temporary holding cells. The Detention Center houses both pre-trial detainees and post-conviction inmates who are serving sentences or awaiting transport to the Arkansas Department of Corrections or Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The detainees have access to television.  Smoking is not permitted. The Detention Center has an in-house medical facility area used by the staff physician and nurse practitioner.  In addition, there is a full kitchen where all meals are prepared for detainees. With rare exception, the meals consist of oatmeal/bread or grits/bread, sausage/bacon for breakfast, sub-sandwiches for lunch, and baked chicken and corn for dinner.

Each member of the Detention Center staff is required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of state approved training to become certified Jailers. They also receive certified training in Ethics & Professionalism, Jail Standards, Fingerprinting, Search of Detainees, Prisoner Transportation. Some of the Jailers are also certified as Part-Time II Deputy Sheriffs with the department.

When reporting for duty at the beginning of the shift, each Jailer is given a duty assignment for that shift. That assignment will be as either a Booking Officer, Control Panel Operator, or Communications Console Operator.

Booking Officer:  Responsible for the receiving and intake process for all detainees. This includes computer book-in, fingerprinting, photographing, searching, change-out, and housing cell block assignment.  This position is also responsible for the dispensing of prescription and non-prescription medications under the orders of the staff Nurse Practitioner, as well as handling commissary.  This Jailer also deals personally with inmates in the housing areas.

Control Panel Operator:  Responsible for electronically controlling all entrances and exit points to the facility, monitoring all security video surveillance systems, operating the intercom system, observing inmates in housing areas, communications with inmates via intercom, and for maintaining all warrants of arrest and orders of protection.

Communications Console Operator:  Responsible for answering incoming phone calls, handling radio communications with sheriff's deputies and other officers in the field, entering and maintaining accurate records in the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, handling all inquiries.

During 2011, there were numerous persons booked into the Detention Center. A great percentage of those bookings were for felony offenses, while others were for misdemeanor offenses. The recidivism rate for the year was low. In previous years, the jail population count has been as high as 289 detainees, while the lowest jail population count has been 140 detainees. The profit to the County from Commissary sales was $63,440.09. 

HomeWAV Video Visitation

Effective Monday, February 2, 2015 visitation will be seven days a week from 8:00 am until 10:00 am and 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm through HOMEWAV at the Dub Brassell Detention Center.  If you are using your home computer, smart phone or tablet, visitation will remain the same.  Anyone who would like to visit at the detention center will need to go to WWW.HOMEWAV.COM and set up an account. The account must be set up before you come to the detention center to visit, it cannot be set up at the detention center.  Questions regarding the set up process must be directed to HOMEWAV at 1-844-394-6639.  Once the account has been set up, the detainee’s name will show on the monitor inside of the pod where he or she is housed. There will be no need to call the detention center to ask for a deputy to notify your loved one. There is no cost to set up an account; however, users pay $0.50 per minute to utilize HomeWAV. Since this is a new process, there may be adjustments made in the early stages. We ask for your patience as we make this transition.

 

Click on the video below for a brief instructional video on how HomeWAV Video Visitation System works.

 

Pretrial and Attorneys are permitted to visit with clients (detainees) 7 days a week, preferably during business hours. Detention Center Staff will make arrangements provided certain circumstances (i.e. court proceedings).  Visitation time restrictions do not exist for the aforementioned persons in this section.

Members of Clergy are permitted to visit 7 days a week for a maximum of 30 minutes strictly during business hours. If the visit involves the notification to a detainee regarding death in his/her family, special arrangements can be made for the member of clergy to visit with the detainee. NO family member will be allowed to accompany the clergy.

Special Visits are at the discretion of Sheriff Woods, who has final approval.

Detainee Mail

New Detainee Mail Policy

Effective 06/15/2023

Effective on June 15, 2023, in effort to enhance security and safety of all detainees and staff at the Jefferson County Adult Detention Center, all incoming regular detainee postal mail must be sent to through our new mail management provider HomeWAV / TextBehind.

TextBehind will photocopy all appropriate physical mail and deliver it digitally to the detention center.  All mail will be reviewed and approved by the facility staff.  Once approved, detainees will receive their regular mail digitally, through the HomeWAV kiosk.

SENDING PHYSICAL MAIL TO A DETAINEE

Appropriate physical mail must be sent to the following mailing address and must meet the mail processing standards as described below.

  1. Sender's complete First and Last name.  Initials are NOT acceptable.
  2. Sender's complete return address.
  3. Detainee's complete First and Last name.  Initials are NOT acceptable.
  4. Detainee's Booking Number.  This can be found by searching for the detainee at https://www.jeffcoso.org/roster.php
  5. Detention Center full name. (Jefferson County Adult Detention Center, AR).  Abbreviations are NOT acceptable.

EXAMPLE:

          John Doe #123456

          Jefferson County Adult Detention Center, AR

          P.O. Box 247

          Phoenix, MD 21131

Any envelope without complete or that is missing information as specified above, either for the sender, or the detainee will be rejected and discarded UNOPENED without exception.

UNACCEPTABLE MAIL:

TextBehind does not accept legal mail, money orders, personal checks, gift cards, or cash in the mail.  These unacceptable items will be returned to the sender.  Please visit https://www.jeffcoso.org/jail for more information.

LEGAL MAIL:

Legal mail, court documents, bank statements, packages & publications will continue to be sent to the facility directly at 300 East Second Avenue, Pine Bluff, AR, 71601.

All books, magazines, newspapers, and catalogs must be mailed directly from the publisher, bookstore, educational institution, or recognized commercial or charitable outlet.  All mail and packages are subject to inspection for contraband.

 

Delivery Schedule

Except for circumstances beyond the control of the detention center, incoming mail will be delivered to detainees after it is received and processed, within twenty-four (24) hours, (excluding holidays and weekends). The exception would be confiscated mail.

The detention center will deliver the mail Monday-Friday, excluding holidays, barring any unforeseen circumstances

Mail received for detainees who are no longer in custody of the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center will be returned to the sender.

Detainees of the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center are limited in the number of letters they may send or receive two (2) letters.  Detainees are limited to sending and receiving only two (2) letters per week not to include mail of legal substance.  Limits have been imposed because the volume of letters outside the aforementioned restrictions could greatly result in an unreasonable hardship on DBDC personnel, who are ultimately responsible for sorting and inspecting mail delivered to the detention center.

Contraband

If any contraband is found in the inmate mail, DBDC will seize it.  Efforts will be made to identify the person who sent the contraband. Dangerous or serious contraband will be turned over to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators for investigation.

Introducing contraband into a correctional facility, (through the mail or by any other means), is a CLASS C Felony. Such activity or suspected activity will be investigated for criminal prosecution.

Prohibited Mail

The following mail is prohibited by DBDC for the safe, secure and orderly environment in promoting rehabilitation:

1.  Mail used to initiate contact with the victim(s) of the alleged crime(s) they have committed, unless the detainee has prior authorization from the courts.

2.  Correspondence between detainees in DBDC or other correctional institutions unless the parties are married or have prior approval from the administration.

3.  Mail that contains threats of physical harm to any person or threats of criminal activity.

4.  Mail that concerns sending contraband into or out of the Jail.

5.  Plans to escape, or depictions or description of blueprints or operational details on an institution’s security.

6.  Letters written in code.

7.  Gang related material.

8.  Mail that is sensational. “Sensational” is defined as written or other printed materials that pose a direct and immediate threat to the safety and security of DBDC.

9.  Sexually explicit mail.

10. Packages

11.  No photographs of any kind are permitted.

12.  Stamps, address labels, stickers, bus passes, bookmarks, calling (phone) cards and stationary/envelopes.

13.  Greeting cards that are padded, musical, have metal clasps, plastic, string, ribbon, confetti, glitter or laminated items. Any item that by design restricts the ability to search the item is not allowed.

14.  Non-paper material, including cardboard, food and clothing items.

15.  Any foreign substance, (lipstick, crayon, watercolors, paint, correction fluid, metallic ink, perfume, glue, tape, body fluids, etc.), on the envelope or any part of the mail.

16.  Any device capable of storing electronic media, (videotapes, cassettes, CD-ROMs, flash drives, and computer disks).

17.  Any cash, personal checks, business checks, cashier's checks or money orders.

Outgoing Mail

Outgoing mail will be handled in a timely manner.

1.  Mail submitted at "mail pass" will be sent out the next business day.

2.  All outgoing mail will contain both a complete delivery address and a complete return address.

a.  The delivery address will contain the full name, full address (including city, state, and 5-digit zip code), and country if other than USA of the person to whom the mail is to be delivered.

b.  The return address will contain the detainee's complete name as it appears in the Jail records, the detainee's complete booking number, and the complete address of DBDC.

3.  All outgoing mail will be in postage-paid envelopes and paper purchased from the Jail Commissary.  Detainees who are indigent will receive two postage-paid envelopes and four sheets of paper per week for personal mail. Indigent detainees will not be restricted in accessing the courts by mail.

4. Each letter can weigh no more than one ounce, (four sheets of paper and the envelope weigh one ounce) and fit within a standard 4”x 9“ envelope, unless approved by DBDC staff.

5.  Once the outgoing mail has been sorted, it will be delivered by pre-sort.

Rejecting Incoming Mail

A mail violation notice will be issued on any opened mail that was returned to sender, confiscated, or was placed in the detainee’s property bin for content. DBDC is not responsible for editing the content of the mail rather; the entire correspondence will be rejected.

1.  Notice of censorship/confiscation of mail shall be provided to the detainee and sender within 5 days of the action, excluding weekends and holidays. Such notice shall be in writing and set forth the reason or reasons for the action and the detainee and sender’s right to a review upon written request within 7 days of the notice.

2.  Unless there is substantial evidence that the mail violates this regulation, it shall be delivered to the addressee. If DBDC finds there is substantial evidence of violation, a detention center official shall order the item censored/confiscated and placed in the detainee’s property bin or returned to the sender at the inmate’s expense.

4.  The DBDC Administrator may evaluate the findings of the review upon written request of the detainee within 5 days of the findings, excluding holidays and weekends.

 

 

     
     
 

  

 

PERSONNEL

The Juvenile Detention Facility, formally the Jack Jones Juvenile Justice Center is under the leadership and direction of the Juvenile Detention Administrator, Chief Deputy Eric Hobbs.

 

No PIC available.jpg
Eric Hobbs
Juvenile Jail Administrator

Admin Phone No. 870.541.8502

 

HISTORY OF THE JACK JONES JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER

The Jefferson County Juvenile Justice Center was established on September 16, 1997.  The Center consists of the juvenile courtroom and staff, the juvenile prosecutor’s office, the juvenile clerk’s office, and the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Facility.

The bed capacity for the detention facility when it opened in 1997 was thirty four (34) beds. Today the facility has the capacity to hold eighty seven (87) juveniles.  The facility was designed to house both males and females from ages ten (10) to twenty (20). The average length of stay is approximately fourteen (14) days.  

The Juvenile Justice Center provides an array of services to juveniles that are detained or involved in the court system. These services include but are not limited to:

  • Educational Services
  • Mentoring Programs
  • Life Skills Training
  • STD & Health Screening
  • Mental Health Counseling
  • Facility tours for troubled youth
  • Prevention/Intervention Services
  • Drug Testing
  • Tutoring
  • Physical Training

The detention center currently employs forty-five (45) employees and provides educational services, security & protection, food services, medical services, and general maintenance for residents and staff.

Wellness Policy: Click here.

Visitation: No visitation will be permitted for any detainee during the first twenty-four (24) hours of their detention.  Effective February 15, 2012 visitation will be scheduled only on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m.  Saturdays will serve as the designated day for non-contact visitation and Sundays will serve as the day for contact visitation. (Legal Guardians will be required to show proof of Guardianship).  

Time Limit Limitations:  The total visitation time limit shall not exceed twenty (20) minutes. This shall not be misconstrued as twenty (20) minutes per visitor but per visitation. No purses, packages or anything that would be perceived as a prohibited article under Arkansas Criminal Code Annotated A.C.A.  § 5-54-119 - Furnishing, possessing, or using prohibited articles.  All persons who enter the detention facility or curtilage are subject to search.  

Juvenile Detainees are not allowed to receive phone calls.  However, they are allowed to make outgoing collect calls at any time at the supervisor's discretion and to their parents/guardians and/or lawyer during the initial booking process.    

Pretrial and Attorneys are permitted to visit with clients (detainees) 7 days a week, preferably during business hours.  Detention Center Staff will make arrangements provided certain circumstances (i.e. court proceedings).  Visitation time restrictions do not exist for the aforementioned persons in this section.

Members of Clergy are permitted to visit 7 days a week for a maximum of 30 minutes strictly during business hours provided they have written permission from the juvenile detainee's parent(s) or legal guardian.

Special Visits are at the discretion of the administration or the Sheriff Woods, who has final approval.

No visitation is allowed if the juvenile detainee is on lock-down (movement restriction) as a result of disciplinary actions taken against him or her.