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Jackson County Jail

212 W. Wesley Street
Jackson, Michigan 49201

Interview with Bret

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Bret: 1 year

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Bret: Very loud and VERY cold.

Life On The Inside
The current Jackson County Jail is a 240 bed facility that houses inmates waiting for trial, convicted felons and misdemeanants. The original jail was built two blocks away from the present campus and actually had a residence on site for the Sheriff and his family.

Whether they like it or not there is no smoking at the Jackson County Jail in Michigan. Any inmate caught with a cigarette will be written up for having contraband. There was a time when trading cigarettes was like trading with cash. Those days are long gone!

To help pass the time there is a basketball court and library. Inmates are not given any outdoor access as this is a multi level floor plan. As far as staying in shape the prospects appear to be dim. As one former inmate put it, "Went in weighing 140. Came out weighing 160. No way to stay in shape." And that is despite the fact that the food is given a "barely passable" type of review.

An inmate can apply to be a trustee which would allow them to have jobs working in the kitchen or library. It's also a much better path towards earning early release.

Good Behavior Policy
The good behavior policy is up to the warden in charge of Jackson County. They are given some guidelines to follow but essentially if they don't want to let an inmate out early they are not required to. On the other hand, an inmate who performs their duty and doesn't cause any trouble could get up to 10 days off for every month served.

Visitor and Telephone Policy
An inmate at Jackson County Jail can begin receiving visitors after being incarcerated for a week. After that, the specific day for a visit depends on the first letter of the inmate's last name. An inmate can have up to three visitors per visitation session. It's up to the inmate to put a visitor's name on their visitation card. Each visit is only fifteen minutes long.

For phone calls, inmates are given access to payphones located on their floors. These are for collect calls only, but the inmate can buy a prepaid phone card to process the call.


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