Stark County Jail is a facility that is well maintained within the
department. The department holds one supervisor, four service officers,
two clerks, and two account officers. These all reside at Inmate
Services.
Commissary
Inmates are allowed commissary as a privilege. All profits from the
selling of clothing, games, hygiene products, and food items are used
to buy supplies and other pieces of equipment for inmates. This money
is also used during the winter to purchase clothes for indigent
inmates, which include hats and winder coveralls for those who work
outside as well as footwear and uniforms. The Stark County Sherriff's
Office operates and owns the inmate commissary.
Visitation and Calling
Commissary services also supervise inmate visitations. These
visitations are done via video and offer flexible hours five days of
the week. Visitors must register to see inmates. These registrations
are as much as twelve hundred in a single year.
Collect phone calls are also available for inmate usage. The state
requires that phones be accessible for inmates in secured areas. The
collect calls are paid via commissary to the Stark County General Fund.
These calls reduce the cost of jail operations.
Church services
Bible study classes and non-denominational chapel services are provided
to inmates each week. Nearly four hundred clergy and volunteers are
register at Stark County. Bibles and other religious materials are
available for distribution upon an inmate's request. These can be kept
with the inmate but must be returned upon the inmate's releasing.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics
Anonymous
Stark County provides Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
meetings each week for needing inmates. However only inmates who are
defined as non-violent cases are allowed to join in these provided jail
programs. These programs are offered voluntarily and are not a
requirement. These programs do have waiting lists because the class
sizes are now so large. If one meeting is missed, inmates are removed
so others may join.
Work Opportunities
To cut down on staffing, Stark County "employs" inmates for various
jobs. One of these is the scrub gang where inmates clean according to
schedules and designated floors, walls, windows, heating ducts, bars,
vents, and lights. Two male inmates are allowed to keep the lobby,
classroom, offices, locker rooms, restrooms, and patrol room clean.
They are called the Front.
The maintenance crew helps the maintenance employees keep the grounds
in service and other duties necessary. Other inmates work in the garage
keeping vehicles working, maintaining vehicles, and performing
services, such as checking tire pressures, checking fluid levels,
cleaning air cleaners, and waxing vehicles.
A specific crew is assigned to the kitchen, which come in a morning
shift and an evening shift. These inmates help prepare meals,
distributing meals, and washing trays. They also keep the kitchen
clean. Other inmates are assigned to laundry duties and others to
litter detail. Those on litter detail work in their designated counties.
Inmate Records
Inmate records can be found on online databases much of the time.
Records are kept by the county sheriff's office and the Department of
Corrections. These records can be obtained by mail, by phone, in
person, or on one of the many databases. Inmates may be searched by
parole hearing, county, names, or inmate number.