Lieutenant Keith Watkins supervises twelve full-time Detention Officers, including one First Sergeant and three Shift Sergeants that are responsible for the booking, supervision and detainment of inmates.  Lt. Watkins has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office since 2002 and served as a Detention Officer, Armed Transport Officer, and Sergeant, before his promotion to Lieutenant in 2005.  Lt. Watkins, also Assistant Detention Administrator, assists Captain Morris with scheduling, inmate commissary, budget planning, personnel issues and fiscal management.

Each detention shift consists of at least one female and one male officer that are respectively responsible for conducting regular rounds of the female and male cell blocks.  In addition, Watkins supervises the Transport Division that is responsible for transporting inmates to court and medical appointments, work detail assignments, Department of Corrections locations and also transports involuntary commitments to the appropriate medical facilities. 

The Detention Center has an in-house Medical Division that provides health services to inmates incarcerated.  These services include, but are not limited to, initial medical screenings, medical histories, physical exams, and prescription and administering of needed medications.  Medical staff work with community agencies and provide care for inmates with chronic conditions, communicable diseases, alcohol and drug detox needs, dental care, mental health services, and prenatal care.  The in-house Medical Division helps to minimize unnecessary inmate trips to the hospital and excessive pharmacy costs, while also improving the quality of care for inmates incarcerated at the Detention Center.

Eligible inmates can participate in Inmate Work Details, Work Release Programs, and G.E.D. Programs, and have access to speak with Jail Ministers when requested.

In order to meet the ever-increasing demand, a new facility is currently being constructed that will expand capacity to 114 inmates.  This new facility will be located off of Regal Street, at the former Triple Stables, in Murphy, North Carolina.