Captain Robert C. Dees is a dedicated law enforcement professional with over three decades of experience in corrections and policing. A graduate of Branford High School, Captain Dees completed his Corrections and Law Enforcement training at North Florida Community College.

He began his career in public safety in 1984 as a Corrections Officer with the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, serving until 1986. He then joined the Live Oak Police Department, where he worked as a Police Officer from 1986 to 1990.

In 1990, Captain Dees joined the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, where he honorably served the citizens of Columbia County for 30 years until his retirement in 2020. During his tenure, he held a variety of key positions, including:

• Patrol Deputy
• Detective
• Sergeant, Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force
• Detective Sergeant
• Patrol Sergeant
• Judicial Sergeant
• Judicial Lieutenant

In addition to his primary roles, Captain Dees was also a valued member of the Dive Team and the Hostage Negotiations Team.

He is a proud graduate of the Florida Sheriffs Association Commanders Academy, Class II (2014), which is a testament to his leadership and commitment to excellence in law enforcement.

In 2025, Captain Dees was appointed by Sheriff Wallace F. Kitchings as the Jail Administrator for the Columbia County Detention Facility, where he continues to lead with professionalism, integrity, and a deep dedication to public service.

Commanded by a Captain and two Lieutenants (Security and Administrative), the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Detention Division is made up of sworn uniformed Detention Officers who provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Detention Facility was originally constructed in 1987. A new housing section  was added in 2022 to replace some older housing sections bringing the current bed count to the capacity of 340 beds that houses minimum, medium and maximum security custody classifications. The Detention Division consists of four shifts with ten Officers per shift. Each shift is supervised by a Sergeant (Watch Commander), a Corporal (Shift Supervisor) and eight Detention Officers who manage the daily operations of the facility.

Booking is responsible for processing offenders that have been arrested by local Law Enforcement as well as processing offenders who have been sentenced by the Columbia County Courts. A onetime non-refundable fifteen dollar ($15) subsistence fee is charged to all offenders each time of intake. Individuals that have been arrested and are not able to bond out will appear before a Judge within the first twenty-four (24) hours of arrest. The Judge informs each arrestee of his/her charge(s) and the bond amount for each charge. First appearance is held each day with all arrestees, via Zoom, at the Detention Facility. If an inmate does not have a bond or cannot afford to pay the bond he/she will be held until the court determines the disposition for their case.

The Medical Department are Sheriff’s Office employees that consist of one Registered Nurse (RN) and four Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) who provide medical services to inmates. Additionally, the Detention Division has two area Doctors on contract to provide Medical and Mental Health Services to incarcerated offenders. Inmate’s health complaints are solicited daily and followed by appropriate triage and treatment by qualified health professionals. These services comply with the Florida Model Jail Standards and are inspected annually for continued compliance.

The Classification Department determines custody and housing assignments for all offenders at the Detention Facility. The Classification Department is responsible for processing court dispositions and release documentation as it is received from the Courts. Additionally, the Classification Officer tracks the length of sentence for each offender, calculates incentive gain time, formulates correct release dates, prepares commitment packets for those inmates who are sentenced to the Department of Corrections and coordinates hearings for the Parole Commission and Child Support Enforcement.

The Food Service Department is operated by Summit Services Inc. under contract with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Summit Food Services is required to provide three meals each day to every offender housed at the Detention Facility. The Food Service Director is required to follow an approved menu by a state certified dietitian for all meals served at the Detention Facility

The Columbia County Warrants Division is responsible for maintaining and servicing all Warrants within the county. The Warrants division consists of a Warrants Supervisor and two full-time clerks who receive and process all warrants issued by the Third Circuit Courts and the Columbia County Courts. The clerks also receive and process warrants from other agencies for persons being sought in Columbia County. Additionally, the warrants clerks coordinate with other agencies on prisoner transportation and provide other agencies with information on warrants and criminal processes held or received by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The clerks provide investigative assistance to Sheriff’s Office Investigators and other department personnel. Warrant information is not disclosed to the public from this office.  To check if you have a warrant go to the FDLE Public Access System (PAS) website at pas.fdle.state.fl.us

This program allows low risk offenders who are in custody that qualify by the conditions of the Columbia County Courts and Detention Facility criteria, an opportunity to work in the community while completing the terms of their sentence. This program gives offenders the chance to pay restitution and support their families during incarceration by being productive in the community while employed.

The Transportation Department consists of four Transport Officers who ensure the transportation of offenders to locations such as court, medical appointments and to other facilities as needed, in a safe and timely manner. The Transport Deputies may also assist with staffing courtrooms for trials involving offenders in the custody of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate transportation dates and locations will not be disclosed to the public.

Money for inmates may be accepted in the following ways.

Detention Facility Public Lobby Kiosk:

The Kiosk will take cash, debit, or credit cards. Cash is most economical as there is only a small fee to deposit cash. Once money is deposited into the Inmate’s account, it should be available within approximately 15 minutes.

By Internet:

You may also go online to deposit money in an inmate’s account at www.commissarydeposit.com this will direct you to Commissary Deposit. The inmate’s commissary ID number is required for this type of transaction.

Funds may be deposited by phone by contacting the facility at 386-755-7000 and utilizing option 5 from the prompts. The inmate’s commissary ID number is required for this type of transaction.

A pre-paid telephone account may be set up for an inmate by contacting Securus at 1-800-844-6591. They will assist you with setting up the account.

MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted as forms of payment.

Facility programs consist of:

All incoming personal mail to an inmate is processed at an off-site facility for safety and security. Inmates will not receive the actual envelope or contents. The processing facility will inspect and scan the letter into electronic format where the inmate can receive it in a timely manner on their kiosk account.

Inmates are permitted to write and receive unlimited correspondence. Incoming mail must have the inmate’s full name and inmate number (if you do not know the Inmate number you may contact the facility at 386-755-7000). The inmate mailing address as shown below shall be on each article as well as a complete return address with name of sender. The official mailing address for this facility is as follows:

CCSO-SCH
(Inmates First and Last Name Inmate number)
P.O. Box 1907
Pinellas Park, FL 33780

Inmates may receive emails and photos through the dormitory kiosk. Each email cost one (1) credit. Photos cost two (2) credits. Credits cost .50 cents each and may be transferred to the inmate to send emails. Family members who wish to set this up may contact SmartJailMail @ 1-888-253-5178 to register and purchase credits.

Inmates shall be permitted to send sealed letters (i.e. privileged/legal mail) to the following persons and/or organizations:
1) Courts
2) Legal Counsel
3) Officers of the confining authority
4) State and local chief executive officers
5) Members of the Parole Commission

As set forth in Florida Model Jail Standard 11.3, privileged mail sent to and received from such persons and organizations may be opened and inspected when there is compelling evidence of a prohibited act.

Inmates also have access on the kiosk to write to internal departments requesting services or to communicate with any questions or concerns they may need assistance with from anything relating to food service to resetting a pin number and more. Each request is answered and sent back to the inmate advising appropriate response. This does not take place of talking to a staff members,  it just helps to reach out to the appropriate department for requested service as an additional option.