The Administrative Section is comprised of the following:

• Classification — responsible for determining the least restrictive custody level required for an inmate and their cell assignment.
• Sentence Management — responsible for requesting sentence computation, processing court dockets, monitoring holds, detainers, notifications, and intra and interstate transfers.
• Jail Records — responsible for maintaining the files of inmates who have been incarcerated.
• Fingerprint/Identification — responsible for processing the fingerprints and disposition forms for submission to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
• Computer Services — responsible for developing and maintaining a variety of computer networks and systems for use by the Corrections Division personnel.
• Board Billing — responsible for computing and submitting prisoner board bills to the state and federal government for the expense of housing prisoners at the Hamilton County Jail.
• Inmate Accounts — responsible for verifying accuracy of inmate accounts and deposits.

Booking

The Booking Section is comprised of three supervisors and twenty-seven officers working the following five posts: Intake, Data Entry, Fingerprint/ID, NCIC/RMS, and First Floor Operations.

The jail currently books approximately 20,000-25,000 detainees each year.

Classification

Inmates committed to the Hamilton County Jail are normally classified within eight days of their committal date. Each inmate is placed into the least restrictive custody level possible. Inmate classification includes minimum, medium, medium close, and maximum custody levels. To ensure health and safety, physical separation is maintained between the following categories:

• Adult and juvenile inmates.
  Maximum custody inmates and those who may be violent or harmful to themselves or others.
• Special needs offenders (elderly, medical, mental health).
  Protective custody inmates.
• Administratively as designated.

Jail Records

There are approximately 300,000 closed inmate files from 2001 to present stored in the file room. Closed inmate files from 1981 through 2000 have been microfilmed and are available for review. Approximately 400 inmate files are processed each week.

Fingerprint/Identification

The Fingerprint/ID Section is responsible for disseminating the fingerprint packages and record copy of the arrest report to the appropriate contributing law enforcement agency for which the inmate was incarcerated. The section processes and submits all of the fingerprints and R-84 disposition forms to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office arrests.

The Live-Scan system was upgraded in mid-September 2000 to electronically submit the fingerprint cards to the regional Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Corrections Administration
601 Walnut Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 209-7055
Fax: (423) 209-7056