The Bradford County Jail in Florida is a regional medium-security correctional facility with a capacity of 67 detainees. The jail, which was built in 1961 with a capacity for 82 detainees, currently accommodates an average of 180 inmates, who are male and female and are housed in separate sections. It is supervised by the Starke Sheriff’s Office and has a total of 383 officers and support staff. Inmates have the option to receive probation or jail time, and those on probation may be subjected to public shaming as a condition.
Recently, inmates at the jail have been offered the vaccine, but a significant number have declined. Writing to inmates is allowed, subject to certain restrictions such as no spiral bindings. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office has been involved in legal cases such as Sargent v. Bradford County Sheriff’s Office. The jail is the main correctional facility in Bradford County and should not be confused with the nearby Florida State Prison, which is also located in unincorporated Bradford County and has a separate set of operations.
The Department of the Jail has strict guidelines for incoming and outgoing mail to ensure the safety and security of both inmates and staff. Only postcards are permitted for incoming mail, except for privileged or legal mail. The following guidelines must be followed for all postcards:
Postcards that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the sender. The following postcards are considered unacceptable and will not be allowed:
For outgoing mail, all mail must be properly addressed and in the form of an approved postcard or pre-stamped envelope, which can be purchased through the Inmate Commissary. Legal and privilege mail will continue to be processed as outlined in the current procedure.
The Bradford County Jail in Florida allows visitation hours from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day of the week. Inmates are permitted to have two 45-minute onsite video visits per week, which must be scheduled in advance. Visits are free of charge. The jail’s business hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Starting on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, the Bradford County Jail will implement the use of Securus Video Visitation. Visitors have the option to visit inmates from home or onsite using this service. Information about registration, hours, and pricing can be found on the website www.securustech.net. It is important to note that all visits with inmates must be scheduled 24 hours in advance.
The Bradford County Jail in Florida has several guidelines that visitors must follow during their visitations. These include:
Bradford County Jail is now using Securus Telephone Services.
The following are the two methods by which deposits can be made to inmate accounts:
The primary law enforcement agency in Bradford County is the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, which offers numerous public safety services to County residents. These services include Patrol, Jail, Investigations, School Protection Deputies, Emergency Management, County-wide Communications for all Public Safety Agencies, Animal Control, the security of Bradford’s Courthouse Complex, service of thousands of court papers per year, and other law enforcement duties.
The employees of Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, ranging from 911 dispatchers to deputies, investigators to command staff, are dedicated to providing top-notch service to residents, visitors, and businesses around the clock, every day of the year. They remain committed to fulfilling the Sheriff’s Office’s mission,
vision, and core values in the course of their daily operations. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office strives to serve the public by treating everyone with the highest levels of integrity and professionalism, in the same way that they would want their own families to be treated.
Bradford County was established in 1858, carved out of segments of Columbia and Alachua counties, and was originally called New River County. In 1861, the county was renamed in honor of Confederate Captain Richard Bradford who died in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, making him the first
Florida officer to die during the Civil War.
Initially, Lake Butler served as the county seat, but Starke emerged as an important city on the Fernandina to Cedar Key railroad, leading to a vote in 1875 that moved the county seat to Starke. However, legal challenges resulted in the county seat being moved back to Lake Butler, which was then reaffirmed in a referendum in 1885. Another referendum in 1887 finally moved the county seat to Starke permanently. In 1921, Union County was carved out of the western portion of Bradford County and Lake Butler.
During its early days, Bradford County was home to many citrus farms, but the Great Freeze in the winter of 1894-1895 destroyed the citrus industry. Despite this setback, Starke and Lawtey continued to be major agricultural producers, with cotton, tobacco, and strawberries being the primary exports. The county experienced significant growth during World War II with the construction of U.S. Route 301 and the nearby Camp Blanding. After the war, the Florida State Prison was built on the Bradford-Union County line in Raiford, attracting national attention in the 1980s when Ted Bundy was executed there. The county also faced lawsuits in the 2000s over a cross on the city’s water tower and a Ten Commandments statue in front of the county courthouse.
Bradford County Jail Inmate Search
Bradford County Jail
945 N Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091
904-966-2276
https://www.bradfordsheriff.org/