Sheriff's Departments

Abstract

Abstract The position of sheriff in the United States is unique among figures in the fields of crime and justice, and their departments vary across and within the several states. The sheriff's department carries out the functions of law enforcement, corrections, court services, and court security. It tends to have more unsworn personnel than other law enforcement agencies. Sheriffs are usually responsible for running jails, which provide both pretrial confinement and short‐term punitive sentences. Sheriffs are responsible for much of the rural law enforcement throughout the United States, and are almost universally elected officials.