The Hill-Finklea Detention Center is located at 300 California Avenue adjacent to the County Courthouse. Randy Demory serves as the Director of the Detention Center.
Director Demory is a nationally recognized jail professional with forty years of experience in the corrections field.
Our mission at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center is to provide a healthy, safe, secure and humane environment in a cost effective manner in which to detain persons in our custody.
Captain Anthony Phyall is the commander of the Operations Division at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center. The Operations Division includes direct supervision of inmates, SORT (Special Operations Response Team), Transport Team and the litter pick up program.
The Transport Team covers all local and out-of-state transports. This includes transports to court hearings and medical facilities. Transport team officers are also responsible for the security of inmates at medical facilities.
The Sheriff’s Office implemented a weekend prisoner transport program in 2018. On Friday and Saturday nights, a transport van meets with any Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, Goose Creek Officer, Hanahan Officer or State Trooper who makes an arrest in the southern portion of the county.
They transport the prisoners to the Hill-Finklea Detention Center. This allows our deputies and fellow law enforcement officers to remain available for service calls during the busiest times of the week.
The Special Operations Response Team ( SORT) is a specialized team to handle safety issues. Duties include cell searches, strip searches, disturbances in the jail, escapes or attempted escapes and hostage situations.
They also provide transports of inmates for court appearances, provide security at video bond court hearings and assist when needed at the court house for bomb threats. The team is also responsible for contraband control.
From 2017 to 2018, there were 53 incidents of assault or attempt to harm staff by inmates. Since the creation of this team, assaults on staff members has been reduced. The possession and use of illicit cell phones has been eliminated.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office instituted the Litter Pick Up Program. Prisoners who are classified as trustees volunteer to participate in this program. Under the supervision of detention officers, the prisoners clean up trash from the sides and medians of public roadways and other public areas.
There have been many technological improvements at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in 2018 and 2019.
Video visitation was implemented in 2019. This program greatly reduces the manpower needed to manage inmate visitation.
Video bond hearings have also reduced manpower needs and increased security for victims and witnesses.
The Detention Center also added Smart Tablets which will deliver personal mail, educational programs and other services. These are provided at no cost to the county. Digital mail has increased the efficiency of controlling communication and controlling contraband risk at the center.
