The Detention Center
Cochise County Jail
- Operated byCochise County Sheriff's Office, Detention Division
- Jail address203 N Judd Drive, Bisbee, AZ 85603. Phone 520-432-7540
- It is not one building'Cochise County has a main jail in Bisbee, two substations (temporary holding facilities), one in Sierra Vista, the other in Willcox' - 100 Colonia de Salud, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, 520-803-3858, and 450 South Curtis Avenue, Willcox, AZ 85643, 520-384-7070
- Who runs the division'The Detention Division is under the direction of a Jail Commander. The role of the Division is to maintain custody of pre-trial prisoners and carry out the judgments of the courts.' Kenneth Bradshaw is Commander; Ariel Monge, Sean Gijanto and Christy Heisner are Lieutenants
- When it was built1985. The county's published NIJO assessment records that 'The Cochise County Jail was constructed in 1985 and has not had a major renovation since', and elsewhere that the plumbing 'was not present in 1985 when the jail was originally built'
- Beds'Originally designed to house 168 inmates, today the Cochise County Jail has been modified to hold as many as 302 inmates.' The same page records 'A recent assessment of the Cochise County Jail found that the 40-year-old facility has lasted twice its expected life'
- How many people are actually in itThe county Health & Social Services 2024 Annual Report publishes 'Average Inmate Population' under Detention Health administrative duties: 308 in 2022, 329 in 2023, 286 in 2024
- Medical care'The Cochise County Jail operates an on-site medical clinic that ensures comprehensive healthcare services for all inmates. This includes medical, dental, and behavioral health care.' The same report publishes the share of inmates on medication (53% average in 2024), on psychiatric medication (22%), the psychiatric drug bill ($30,787.16 in 2024), the total prescription bill ($190,401.98) and the number of grievances received (33 in 2024)
- VisitationVideo visitation through Combined Public Communications. Visitation centres at the Cochise County Regional Center Douglas, 1012 G. Avenue, 2nd floor next to Justice Court Precinct 2, and at 100 Colonia de Salud, Suite 201, Sierra Vista. Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., booked 48 hours in advance. 'Inmates in General Population are limited to 2 public/free visits per week, and there is no limit on the number of visits done from home by friends or family.' No price is published
- Mail was centralised out of state in 2026'Starting March 16, 2026 all mail will need to be sent to the below addresses. Mail received at other addresses will be rejected.' Non-legal mail now goes to Cochise County Jail, AZ, PO Box 76550, Highland Heights, KY 41076; legal mail and money orders still go to 203 North Judd Drive, Bisbee
- A fireThe Sheriff's Office published a news release on 17 October 2025, 'Fire at Cochise County Jail Caused by Equipment Malfunction'
- A new jail is being builtThe county calls it 'the voter-approved Cochise County New Jail Project' and says 'it was made possible through the approval of County voters'. As at the Board work session of 28 July 2026 the owner's representative, Vanir, reported 'approximately $17.44 million in Jail District sales-tax revenue has been collected to date, with approximately $2.01 million used and $7.32 million committed through significant contracts for the owner's representative and criteria architect. Bond-financing planning is expected to take place during 2027'. The preliminary schedule is a design-builder selected by March 2027, construction beginning September 2027, and activation, move-in and training complete by August 2029
Source: Cochise County, AZ - Detention Division · checked 2026-08-23
Transparency rating
4/10Partial- ✓The jail is named
- ✗Who is in custody — not published
- ✓Beds and daily population
- ✓What it costs taxpayers
- ✗Deaths in custody — not published
- ✗PREA audits — not published
- ✓Independent inspection
- ✗Who else it holds, and for how much — not published
- ✗How to post bond — not published
- ✗Phone, video and commissary rates — not published
The Building
You paid for it. Here is what the record says it cost.
- Year built1985. The county's own published NIJO assessment states 'The Cochise County Jail was constructed in 1985 and has not had a major renovation since'
- Original costNot found for the 1985 building. For the replacement: the Jail District 'expects to issue approximately $100 million of bonds for the construction, design, and engineering costs of the new jail facilities, with a total project cost not to exceed $130 million'
- Paid for byA half-cent county jail district excise (sales) tax, put to a special election on 4 November 2025 - the county subsequently describes the project as 'voter-approved' and the tax as having 'the approval of County voters' - first collected from 1 July 2026, ending on the earlier of ninety days after the Jail District bonds are fully repaid or 1 July 2043. The county estimates the Jail District's future revenue needs at an average of $16.3 million a year: '$6.3 million for the County's current contribution for staffing and operating expenses (maintenance of effort); and $10.0 million for Jail District bond debt service'. The tax is for construction and financing only - the county states that its proposed uses 'will not include the operation and maintenance of the new County jail facilities'
- Beds'It was originally designed to house 168 prisoners, but over the years, it has been modified to hold as many as 302 inmates.' Average inmate population 308 (2022), 329 (2023), 286 (2024)
Since then
- 1985 - jail constructed; the county's NIJO assessment of 16 April 2021 records no major renovation since
- Autumn 2022 - a twelve-member Jail District Public Outreach Committee met from August to October 2022, toured the jail, and on 21 October 2022 voted unanimously to recommend forming a jail district; it presented that recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on 15 November 2022
- November 2022 - the Board adopted Resolution 22-29 ordering the formation of the Cochise County Jail District, contingent on voter approval of an excise tax not to exceed half a cent
- 16 May 2023 - voters approved the tax at an all-mail special election. Plaintiffs then sued, arguing the County had failed to mail ballots to registered but inactive voters. The Cochise County Superior Court dismissed with prejudice; the Arizona Court of Appeals reversed in June 2024 and remanded
- May 2025 - the Superior Court approved a settlement ending collection of the tax until a new election. The county adopted a resolution in June 2025 ending collection as of 31 July 2025, and the Jail District Board called a special election for 4 November 2025
- 4 November 2025 - in-person special election on the jail district excise tax; collection to begin 1 July 2026. The county's later project blog refers to the result as voter approval
- 28 July 2026 - Vanir reports approximately $17.44 million in Jail District sales-tax revenue collected to date, approximately $2.01 million used and $7.32 million committed
- January to August 2026 - site preparation at the Judd Drive site outside Bisbee: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment completed, criteria architect RFQ published 2 March 2026, design-build criteria contract approved June 2026, culvert installation and native-plant (ocotillo) removal under way, geotechnical testing to follow
- Planned - design-builder selected by March 2027, construction beginning September 2027, final activation, move-in and training complete by August 2029, with bond-financing planning during 2027
The Sheriff
Sheriff Mark Dannels
- Runs the jailYes. The Detention Division is one of eight divisions of the Sheriff's Office and the Cochise County Jail's contact page sits under it. ARS 31-101 and ARS 11-441(A)(5) make the sheriff the jailer in every Arizona county
- How the office is filledElected. Arizona county sheriffs are elected countywide to four-year terms
- CommandBrendon Dever, Chief of Staff; Kenneth Bradshaw, Commander - Detention / Support Services; Carol Capas and Grady Butler, Public Information Officers
- The jail commander has been recognised nationallyThe county's jail project blog entry of 8 July 2026 is headed 'Cochise County Jail Commander Kenny Bradshaw Receives Top Honor awarded by NIJO'
- OfficeAdministrative Office, 205 N Judd Drive, Mile Post 345, Highway 80, Bisbee, AZ 85603. Non-emergency 520-803-3550, 520-432-9500 or 800-362-0812
- Other things the office doesAnimal Control, Civil, Community Outreach, Patrol, Search & Rescue, Special Operations and Support Services divisions; a Sheriff's Assist Team; a sex offender registry unit; fingerprinting at Bisbee and Sierra Vista at $5 cash; and the ConfirmOk daily welfare-call programme for housebound residents
Still needed
- Detention budget requested vs. approved, by year
- Jail staffing levels and vacancy rate
- Lawsuits and settlements involving the jail
Source: Cochise County, AZ - Sheriff · checked 2026-08-23
The Judges
Arizona Superior Court judges outside Maricopa and Pima Counties are elected countywide in nonpartisan elections to four-year terms; in Maricopa and Pima they are appointed by the Governor from a commission's nominees and then face retention votes. Cochise County therefore elects all six of its Superior Court judges, and the presiding judge, David Thorn, is chosen from among them by the Supreme Court. Justices of the peace are elected to four-year terms in their precinct, and Cochise County has six precincts - Bisbee, Benson, Bowie, Douglas, Sierra Vista and Willcox - each with its own elected justice of the peace. All of these are state judicial officers, not county officials, although the county pays for the justice courts and hosts their pages. In Arizona it is normally the justice of the peace or a municipal magistrate who sets release conditions at the initial appearance within 24 hours of booking, so the judge who decides whether someone stays in the Cochise County Jail and the sheriff who holds them answer to different offices. Note the county's own campaign-finance filings for 2026 include reports for 'Champagne for Judge', 'Faulkner for Superior Court' and 'Flores for Justice of the Peace', which is what a contested judicial election looks like on the county's website.
Cochise County Superior Court - Presiding Judge
- David Thorn - named by the Arizona Supreme Court as presiding judge of Cochise County. He also sits as the judge of Superior Court Division III, 4 Ledge Avenue, Administration Building, Bisbee
Cochise County Superior Court - the six divisions
- Division I - Honorable Joel Larson, 100 Quality Hill, Bisbee. He is also the Presiding Juvenile Court Judge
- Division II - Honorable Terry Bannon, Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore, 100 Colonia de Salud, Suite 203, Sierra Vista
- Division III - Honorable David Thorn, 4 Ledge Avenue, Bisbee
- Division IV - Honorable Richard Karwaczka, 100 Quality Hill, Bisbee
- Division V - Honorable Jason A. Lindstrom, 100 Quality Hill, Bisbee
- Division VI - Honorable Anne Borowiec, 100 Colonia de Salud, Suite 202, Sierra Vista
Justice courts - six precincts, the benches that set release conditions at initial appearance
- Bisbee Justice Court, 207 N Judd Drive - Honorable Janus Poppe
- Douglas Justice Court, 1012 N G Avenue, Suite 237 - Honorable Alma Vildosola
- Benson Justice Court, 126 W 5th Street - Honorable Randy Judd
- Willcox Justice Court, 450 S Haskell Avenue - Honorable Trevor Ward
- Sierra Vista Justice Court, 100 Colonia de Salud - Honorable Kenneth Curfman
- Bowie Justice Court, 201 N Central Ave - Honorable Ruben Adame
Still needed
- The county's bond schedule
- Share of the jail population held pretrial
- Median time from booking to first appearance
Source: the state judiciary · checked 2026-08-23
The County Commissioners
They pay for the jail. The sheriff runs it.
- What they controlThe detention budget, the building itself, and the agreements that let other agencies rent its beds.
- What they don'tDay-to-day operations. The sheriff is separately elected and answers to voters, not to the board.
- The boardBoard of County Commissioners →
- Where the jail money is decidedAgendas and minutes →
Notes on the record
- Cochise County publishes more about its jail than any other county in this group, and most of it is published because the county is asking its voters to pay for a new one. The Jail District page and the jail project blog together give the design capacity, the age of the building, the condition assessment, the litigation history of the tax, the bond size, the project cost ceiling and a month-by-month construction log.
- inspections is marked yes on the strength of a document the county published in redacted form: 'Cochise County Sheriff's Office Cochise County Jail Assessment Report of Findings', prepared by Joshua Arnold, CJE, of the National Institute for Jail Operations, dated 16 April 2021 following a site visit on 23 March 2021. NIJO is a private body, not a state inspectorate - Arizona has none - but this is an independent assessment of the jail carried out by someone other than the operator and published by the county. Its findings include that the jail was built in 1985 with no major renovation since and that headcount 'was often beyond the rated capacity'.
- capacity is marked yes. The Jail District page publishes both the original design capacity (168) and the modified maximum (302), and the county Health & Social Services 2024 Annual Report publishes the average inmate population for three consecutive years. Neither is a live daily count, but between them the county publishes what the jail was built to hold and roughly how many people are in it.
- The Health Department's report is where the jail's real operating detail is published, not the Sheriff's pages. It records the jail's on-site clinic, the proportion of inmates on medication, the psychiatric drug bill, mental-health petitions, crisis contacts, social-worker visits, and the number of grievances received, completed and returned each year.
- contracts is marked no. The FY2027 budget for Fund 196, Jail District, publishes what the county earns from holding other people's prisoners - Federal Prisoners Reimbursement $18,000, State Prisoners Reimbursement $25,000, Incarceration Fees $40,000, and City Jail Reimbursements cut from $8,000 to nil - but publishes no agreement and no per-day rate.
- fees is marked no. The county says visits beyond two free public visits a week are unlimited from home through Combined Public Communications, and Fund 208, Sheriff Inmate Welfare, budgets $185,000 of 'Resale Activity Revenues' for FY2027 against $175,000 for FY2026 - so the county publishes what commissary earns without publishing what anything costs. A site search for 'commissary' returns four results, all of them environmental-health food permits.
- prea is marked no: a site search for 'PREA' returns 'No results found'. roster is marked no: there is no inmate lookup on the county site. deaths is marked no: nothing published records a death in custody. bond_info is marked no: the county publishes court forms including a Bond Card and a Waiver of Bond, but no guidance to the public on how to post bail for someone in the jail.
- budget is marked yes and the detail is good. Appendix 1 for FY2027 gives Department 3000, Sheriff, a general fund total of $24,390,669 against $21,569,202 adopted for FY2026. Appendix 2 breaks out Fund 196 Jail District at $34,691,402, Fund 203 Jail Enhancement, Fund 208 Sheriff Inmate Welfare at $475,967, Fund 281 Jail Education Program and Fund 282 Juvenile Detention Ed. Within the Jail District fund, Professional Services jumps from $222,750 to $4,425,577 for FY2027 and Contingency from $12,265,413 to $21,692,963 - the new jail arriving in the ledger.
- Board of Supervisors, three members elected by district: Tom Crosby (District 1), Kathleen Gomez (District 2) and Frank Antenori (District 3). Offices at 1415 Melody Lane, Building G, Bisbee, AZ 85603, phone 520-432-9200. 'The powers of the Board are very broad in nature and are defined in the Arizona Revised Statutes: 11-251 (Powers of board). The members of the Board feel that one of their primary responsibilities is the in-depth oversight of the County Budget.' Speaker request forms must be submitted by 9 a.m. on the day of the meeting. The same three supervisors sit as the Board of Directors of the Cochise County Jail District, which meets separately - a 'JAIL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING' appears on the county calendar. The Jail District is a taxing and financing body under ARS Title 48: it levies a half-cent excise tax and will issue the bonds for the new jail, but it does not run the jail. Fund 196, Jail District, is budgeted at $34,691,402 for FY2027 against $19,928,931 adopted for FY2026.
These three offices decide who sits in a cell in Cochise County and what it costs the people who live here. Nationally, almost 77% of the people who died in local jails in 2019 had not been convicted of anything, and suicide was the leading single cause of those deaths (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Mortality in Local Jails, 2000–2019).
How much is your sheriff — and your judge — costing you?
Your VOTE is POWERFUL.
The sheriff who runs this jail is elected. So are the commissioners who pay for it.
The sheriff is on your ballot
The county recorder runs the election in Cochise County and prints the ballot the sheriff’s name is on. Links from USA.gov and vote.gov.
Names verified 2026-08-23 · dollars and outcomes still being gathered