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Sheriff

Welcome to the Butler County Sheriff's Office

Jason Johnson, Sheriff

Emergency: 911

Non-Emergency
Phone: (319) 346-6621
Fax: (877) 857-0241

Butler County Courthouse
428 Sixth Street
P.O. Box 307
Allison, IA 50602

History

Butler County was first organized in 1854 with Robert T. Crowell being appointed as the first Sheriff. Sheriff Crowell served until 1855 when Walker H. Bishop was elected sheriff.

In 1854 Clarksville became the first county seat for Butler County. In 1860 enough registered voters signed a petition to have the county seat moved. An election was held, and the county seat was then moved to Butler Center. In 1880 the Citizens of Clarksville circulated a petition to have the county seat moved back to Clarksville. The citizens in the rest of the county did not want the county seat back in Clarksville, and since the railroad was not going through Butler Center and would be going through the newly incorporated town of Allison, the voters elected to have the county seat moved there. In 1880 the county seat was moved to its present site at the end of main street in Allison. The new courthouse was built at a cost of $10,000, with the Sheriff's Office and jail being located there.

In 1928 a new jail was built east of the courthouse, for a cost of $14,000. The jail had office and jail space on the first floor and in the basement. In September of 1929 the jail got its first real use. That year the public school in Allison burned down, and because of a shortage of classroom space, the jail became a school. Classes for 3rd through 6th grades were held in the jail offices and cells for the remainder of the 1929-1930 school year. Since the Sheriff had not moved his office into the jail before the school burned, the Butler County Superintendent of schools moved in the jail building in 1930. The Superintendent used all the office space, while the Sheriff maintained his office in the courthouse. The Superintendent of schools would watch the prisoner(s) during his office hours. After hours and on weekends the prisoner(s) had telephone contact with the Sheriff's residence for emergencies. The Sheriff kept his office in the courthouse until the late 1960's when the Superintendent of schools moved out.

From 1928 until today the jail building has undergone several changes. In the early 1940's at the start of World War II, the cells in the basement of the jail were removed. The iron and steel from these cells were used in the war effort. In 1983 a new office area was added to the old jail building, and the cells were remodeled to conform with the state jail standards. In 1991 the jail changed again to accommodate more prisoners.. Besides holding prisoners for Butler County, the jail also holds prisoners for Franklin County. The revenue from holding out of county prisoners amounts to approximately $90,000 per year.

Jail

The Butler County Jail was built in 1928 and has since been remodeled in 1983 and again in 1992. The current capacity of the jail is 12 inmates.

The main purpose of the Butler County Jail is to hold persons arrested for crimes committed in Butler County. The jail is to protect the public and make sure the person arrested is available for subsequent court appearances. The secondary purpose of the jail is for punishment of those persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes. Those persons can be sentenced to the Butler County Jail for up to one year.

The jail has five cells consisting of three single cells, one three person cell and one six person cell. The jail can hold males, females, and juveniles waved into adult court. Persons in the Butler County Jail are provided jail uniforms, deodorant, tooth brushes, and bedding when they are received at the jail. The prisoners are fed three hot meals a day and have the opportunity to purchase items from the jail commissary two times a week.

The average daily population of the jail for 1999 was 11 inmates per day. The average length of stay for the inmates was 15 days.

Butler County has on full time jailer with the rest of the Deputies and Communication dispatchers also cross trained as jailers.

The Jail Visiting hours at the Butler County Jail are:

  • Males: Monday and Thursday 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.
  • Females: Tuesday and Friday 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Civil

Various types of papers that we serve:

An information, advice, or written warning, in more or less formal shape, intended to apprise a person of some proceeding in which his interests are involved, or informing him of some fact which it is his right to know and the duty of the notifying party to communicate.

Crimestoppers

Crime Stoppers began in Albuquerque, New Mexico in September of 1976. Members of the local community, in partnership with the media and law enforcement, began an effort to provide crime-solving assistance to law enforcement. A cash reward was offered to anonymous persons who telephone the Crime Stoppers hot line with information which led to the arrest and indictment of the person(s) responsible for felony offenses. The Crime Stoppers program has enjoyed great success boasting an average conviction rate of 95% on cases solved by Crime Stoppers' tips.

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Butler County [582 square miles] was named in honor of General William Orlando Butler (1791-1880), a Kentucky statesman, officer in the Mexican War, and unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Vice President in 1848.

Contact Butler County

Butler County Courthouse

428 Sixth Street
P.O. Box 307
Allison, IA 50602

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