Skip to main content
You're logged in with MyAlex  |  Logout

City of Alexandria, VA

Search results cleared

Include archived pages
Most of the content here is written in English. Translate your search to find more content? Translating "" to English... Searching for English phrase ""
  • Live
  • Play
  • Services
  • Business
  • Government
  • Projects & Plans
  • Calendar
  • I want to…

Detention Center Bureau

The Detention Center Bureau manages the security of the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center which houses approximately 300 inmates including local, state and federal prisoners.
Page updated on July 17, 2025 at 11:17 AM

Sheriff's Office

  • Sheriff's Office Home Page
  • About the Sheriff's Office
    • Sheriff Sean Casey
    • Sheriff's Office Overview
    • Sheriff's Office Mission and Values
    • History of the Sheriff's Office
  • Become a Deputy Sheriff
  • Community and Safety Programs
    • Away from Home Check
    • Child ID Kits
    • Elementary School Liaison Program
    • Gun Locks and Medication Lock Boxes
    • Photo ID Cards for Kids
    • Project Lifesaver
    • Sheriff's Community Academy
  • Depositing Funds to Inmate Accounts
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Inmate Resources and Helpful Information
    • How to Deposit Funds to Inmate Accounts
    • Information for Attorneys
    • Inmate Mail Procedures
    • Inmate Visitation for Family and Friends
    • Inmate Programs
    • Inmate Work Detail
    • Library Services
    • Prison Rape Elimination Act and Reporting Sexual Abuse
  • News Releases

Share

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
Translate icon
Translate icon
XWARNING: You have chosen to translate this page using an automated translation system. This translation has not been reviewed by the City of Alexandria and may contain errors.

Bureau Organization and Responsibilities

Chief Deputy Dan Gordon commands the Detention Center Bureau. The Detention Center Bureau is responsible for access to the facility, facility support services, and the safety of all those – inmates, staff and visitors – inside.

Three Detention Center Divisions, Security Division A, Security Division B, and the Support Services Division, comprise the Detention Center Bureau. Division A includes Team 1A, Team 2A and the Special Management Section and serves as the liaison to the medical contractor. Division B, overseen by Captain Lee Houston, includes Team 1B and Team 2B and serves as the liaison to the mental health contractor. Each Security Team is overseen by a Lieutenant who also acts as the Watch Commander for the shift.

Facility security is accomplished from inmates’ initial booking to their release. Detention Center deputies are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of inmates in the facility’s housing areas and for ensuring that inmates move safely and securely throughout the building. Deputies are placed directly into the larger housing units to effectively control living environment of those units. Direct supervision of inmates where they live allows deputies to better gauge the atmosphere in the units and more promptly deflect or respond to issues and concerns.

The Support Services Division is responsible for managing the facility, coordinating improvement projects with contractors and other agencies, maintaining inmate records, and managing information technology.

The Detention Center Bureau is also responsible for controlling the entrance, exit and movement of everyone in the Detention Center. Deputies coordinate professional visits and are responsible for checking to ensure that no one enters the building who does not meet stringent security guidelines. Deputies also check daily security equipment and locking devices as part of their daily inspections. The Detention Center Bureau is responsible for staffing the Visitor Center and ensuring the grounds of the Public Safety Center remain secure.

Below: Deputy Josue Reyes speaks with an inmate in the booking area.

deputy speaking with an inmate

 

William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center

exterior of Adult Detention Center

Completed in 1987 at a cost of $15 million, the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center houses all individuals committed by the courts to the Sheriff’s custody. The facility also houses a number of federal prisoners through contract with the U.S. Marshals Service Housing of federal prisoners in Alexandria facilitates the processing of defendants through the U.S. Federal Courthouse located nearby. The Detention Center housed a daily average of 294 inmates in 2023. 

The Detention Center operates under a style of management style and architectural design that facilitates increased staff and inmate contact and works to reduce tension and improve security within the correctional setting. More than three decades later, Alexandria's Detention Center has proven itself a model corrections facility that has earned national recognition for excellence in its staff and facility operations. The Detention Center strives to provide the highest quality in service and has been accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA) since 1989 and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) since 1991. 

The Security Team Watch Commanders are responsible for directing the secure operations of the William G. Truesdale Detention Center during their assigned shifts. The Sheriff's Office's Watch Commanders share a common goal: to guide their teams in the performance of their daily tasks with excellence, professionalism and integrity.

Contact Us
Alex311 | 703.746.4311
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Visitor Information

VisitAlexandriaVA.com

  • Emergency Hotlines
  • Social Media
  • Privacy & Legal
  • FOIA Requests
  • Departments
  • Jobs
  • Payments

Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

City of Alexandria Seal
© 1995–2023 City of Alexandria, VA and others.
Hold on, redirecting...