County level corrections is an area that sheriffs control to a great extent at this time. As previously discussed, most local correctional facilities are administered by an elected sheriff. However, in the past several years, the number of sheriffs in this role has diminished. In 1976, 89% of all county jails were operated by sheriffs. By 1993, this number decreased to 77%. This significant decrease in the functional capacity of the sheriff came at a time of its greatest growth and need for local correctional facilities. Based on this need, it is logical to assume that sheriffs were needed to a greater, not lesser extent. The increased use of privatization, or the operation of governmental functions by private companies, was one reason for the decrease. Many states have authorized the use of private vendors to operate their county jail facilities. In other instances, sheriffs were removed from the statutory authority of running county jails. Local correctional commissioners, or like positions, have been established in some communities to displace the county sheriff with regard to jail operations.¹⁶⁹

Often, sheriffs have placed less priority on the operation of their county jail than they did on their law enforcement functions. Many times, jails have received proportionately less resource allocation and less management emphasis than did the sheriff's police purpose. The first priority for personnel frequently went to the road patrol rather than correctional needs. Pay grades and qualifications for sheriff's correctional jobs were traditionally less than that of the patrol counterparts. Within agencies, jail correctional officers held less esteem and were often referred to in pejorative jargon as "hacks", "screws", and "turn keys". Discontent and difficult working conditions ultimately followed and the end result did not benefit jail operations.¹⁷⁰

Increased civil service standards, unionization of correctional staff, and increased pay and benefits have helped professionalize the jail officer. Correction officers are continuing to strive for much needed respect within the system that they are a critical part of. Joseph Danvers, a correction officer with the Broome County, New York Sheriff's Department addresses some of the issues in a guest viewpoint to the Binghamton, New York Press and Sun Bulletin. His opinion reads in part:

"I am a correction officer. I work in a jail. I am not a guard. That person plays basketball and football, and works at school crossings.

I work at a maximum security correctional facility. I am empowered by the state of New York to enforce its penal and criminal procedure laws, and uphold the rules and regulations of the county and New York State Commission of Corrections.

In short, I am a policeman. My best is totally inhabited by criminals, who by definition are people with propensity to break laws, rules and regulations. I am outnumbered by as many as 50 to 1 every minute of every hour of every shift I work. I do not carry weapons on my beat, nor do I have a vehicle or even a secure office area. In summary, my life is on the line each moment I report to work.

A correctional facility is a very misunderstood environment. The average person has little knowledge of is workings. Society sends its criminals to correctional facilities and as time passes forgets about them. The crime that they committed fades from memory.

The common notion is that jails are places where bad people are warehoused in order to keep them isolated from decent, law abiding citizens of the outside world, in an environment in which they can cause no harm. That is another misconception; that inmates cease to be a problem once incarcerated.

Correctional facilities are full of violence perpetrated by prisoners not only on each other, but worse yet against the staff as well as my brother and sister officers. Felonies are committed daily but are referred to as "unusual incidents". They rarely result in public prosecution. The response from prosecutors, if the crime is even submitted to them for review, is generally that the incidents "go with the territory".

Although you will not see me on Rescue 911, Cops or other police shows, I am a dedicated, educated, law enforcement professional. I am the forgotten cop, hidden from public view, doing the most dangerous job among the most dangerous individuals.

My goal is to serve with honor, and to one day receive the recognition and approval from the public I silently deserve".¹⁷¹

Ironically, sheriffs with strong police affiliation have sometimes found that their jail would provide the greater source of funding. During troubled economic times, road patrol functions have frequently been reduced or eliminated. Many communities within counties have alternative police functions independent from the sheriff. It has sometimes been difficult to justify to taxpayers that road patrol functions of the sheriff should be funded in areas without police protection, by taxpayers from other areas within the county that already have a police function. Nonetheless, the county jail creates a benefit to all jurisdictions within a county, whether or not they have local or county enforcement efforts.¹⁷²

Just as there are areas of weaknesses, where sheriffs hold little powers, there are pockets of strength throughout the United States where sheriffs rule supreme with regard to law enforcement functions. Areas of the United States South and West are areas that represent significant strongholds for sheriffs to administer criminal justice functions. These areas are likely to keep other developing town or city law enforcement agencies to a minimum where the sheriff has been the superior agency. The ability for an agency to be funded by a broader tax base, such as a county as opposed to a smaller government unit, helps sheriffs maintain their strength in these regions. One universal administration is often cheaper to operate rather than the collective costs of several smaller ones. By having one single administration, the sheriff can often provide a cheaper service. Cost effectiveness increases the likelihood of longevity, particularly in times of financial need.

Many areas of law enforcement, such as correction and civil enforcement lay statutorily with the sheriff. Amending constitutions or creating legislation to take these functions away are unlikely in most cases. Alternative agencies have not shown any great desire to take on these functions, and in all probability the functions will stay vested with the majority of sheriffs. The strength of the office is also prone to stay powerful where it has been traditionally potent. As long as the public is confident in the ability and the integrity of the office it will undoubtedly remain a stable force in American government.

169. Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Sheriff's Departments 1993", (June 1996), NCJ-148823, p. 4.
170. Duffee, D.E., Correctional Practice and Policy, (New York: Random House Inc., 1989), p 243.
171. Danvers, J., "Correction Officer has Dangerous Beat", Press and Sun Bulletin, Binghamton, New York, (10-22-97), p. 10, section A.
172. Duffee, D.E., Corrections Practice and Policy, (New York: Random House Inc., 1989), pp. 244-245.