Detention

Colonel Lew Alder, Division Commander

Lieutenant Colonel Don Hunton, Assistant Division Commander
Major Susan Latham, Jail, Administrative/Operations
Major Susan Faulkner, Work Release, Administrative/Operations
Major Janet Prince, Jail, Administrative/Operations
Major Craig Bonner, Jail, Administrative/Operations
Major Richard Wood, Prison Unit
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Colonel Lewis (Lew) Alder began his law enforcement career in 1971 with the Atlanta Police Department where he served as patrolman and detective until 1975. From 1975 to 1980, Lew served with the Georgia State Crime Commission as a law enforcement specialist. Lew has served in Cobb County since 1980 as the Administrative Division Commander in the Sheriff’s Office, the Warden of the County Correctional Institute, and the Commander of the Sheriff’s Office Detention Division. Lew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University.

The Detention Division operates the detention facilities maintained by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. There are currently three facilities: the Jail, the Prison Unit and the Work Release Center.

The Jail is primarily a pretrial detention facility and is the largest inmate holding facility operated under the auspices of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. The Jail encompasses approximately 11 acres under roof and has a total bed capacity of 1979. In 2003, approximately 39,000 adult offenders (17 years of age and older as mandated by state law) were processed through this facility. The average daily inmate population during 2003 was approximately 2030. Read More...

The Prison Unit houses inmates serving their sentences locally pursuant to court order. Typically these inmates have been convicted on misdemeanor or non-violent felony charges to sentences of less than 24 months. The inmates are assigned to various supervised work details throughout the county. In 2003, the average daily population of the Prison Unit was approximately 160 inmates. These inmates are provided with access to a number of educational and therapeutic programs to facilitate their successful re-entry into society at the conclusion of their incarceration.

The labor provided the Prison Unit inmates offsets a significant portion of the cost associated with operating the Prison facility and provides the inmates with enhanced job skills. Read More...

The Work Release Center is the newest facility under the control of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. Opened in March of 2003, this facility houses sentenced inmates who qualify to work outside the facility during the day, while serving their sentence. These inmates must pass a very through screening process to be admitted to the program and must meet stringent compliance requirements in order to remain in the program.

The participants live at the facility and are released only for work or to attend school. The Work Release Center staff monitors the participants’ schedules and performs random visits to the job site or school to confirm attendance. The participants are required to pay for their room and board while staying at the facility. The Work Release Center can potentially accommodate 384 participants. Since March of 2003, 115 participants, including 18 females, have been processed through the facility. Read More...

The Records and Identification Unit, located at the Cobb County Jail, is charged with the responsibility of maintaining arrest and incarceration records, fingerprints, photographs and court documents for inmates housed in the Cobb County Detention Facilities. The Unit also handles dissemination of record data and photographs pursuant to GCIC and NCIC rules.

Crime Scene Technical Services, provides crime scene services to all law enforcement agencies within the County. This unit provides crime scene photography, including in-house development of all film and video documentation, as well as evidence collection and other crime scene processing services. It is one of the few units in the metro area that is staffed 24/7 with certified crime scene technicians.

Also organized under the Crime Scene Unit is an in-house marijuana-testing lab, which services all local law enforcement agencies within the County. The lab provides testing services as well as expert testimony related to the testing and has been instrumental in expediting marijuana cases through the court process. Read More...