The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department thanked its correctional officers and staff Wednesday with an appreciation luncheon marking National Correctional Officers and Employees Week. Deputies served up freshly grilled hamburgers, chips and sides to show the efforts of the county’s correctional officer do not go unnoticed.

The annual observance, held in the first full week of May, was established by President Ronald Regan in 1984 and expanded to include all correctional staff in 1996. On Monday, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation observing National Correctional Officers and Employees Week and recognizing LCSD’s correctional staff for their efforts.

 

Sheriff Ward Calhoun said the staff at the Lauderdale County Detention Center play a key role in the success of his department and the safety of the community. Deputies would be unable to do their jobs successfully if correctional staff was not in place, he said.

 

“They’re behind those big iron bay doors and big tall walls, and you know, they’re not thought of many times when you think about the law enforcement community, but they’re integral to what we do,” he said. “The largest part of our sheriff’s department is our detention facility in terms of personnel and budget, and without them taking care, custody and control of these inmates and individuals who have been charged with crimes, we would not be able to do our jobs.”

 

Correctional staff do far more than keep people locked up, Calhoun said. They build rapport with those being detained and establish relationships that can open opportunities to mentor and guide people to better choices, he said.

 

“We have some correctional officers who’ve been here more than 25 years. They know lots of people in our community,” he said. “As they see them out, they’re checking on them and talking to them and trying to encourage them about making sure they do the right thing and make the right choices so they don’t end up in a facility like our’s or at the state level.”

 

The men and women of the Lauderdale County Detention Facility are a crucial part of LCSD’s team, Calhoun said, and his department wanted to make sure they know they are valued and their work is appreciated.