Cherry County

The Detention Center

Cherry County Justice Center

• Operated byCherry County Sheriff's Office
• Detention commandSharon Hesse — Administrator, Cherry County Justice Center
• Address365 N Main Street #13, Valentine, NE 69201
• AdministratorSharon Hesse
• PREAPage states a "Zero-Tolerance policy towards all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment," investigated by PREA-trained personnel and referred to the Sheriff's office for criminal prosecution when warranted; publishes a PREA hotline, (308) 633-1865
• Budget (FY2025-2026 adopted)County Jail (Function 671): $724,550 adopted (vs. $747,550 proposed); County Sheriff (Function 651): $536,000 adopted; Dispatch Center (Function 653): $308,500 adopted
• Capacity, roster, bond info, fees, inspections, deaths, contractsNot published on the pages reviewed

Source: Cherry County Justice Center · checked 2026-08-25

• ✓The jail is named
• ✗Who is in custody — not published
• ✗Beds and daily population — not published
• ✓What it costs taxpayers
• ✗Deaths in custody — not published
• ✓PREA audits
• ✗Independent inspection — not published
• ✗Who else it holds, and for how much — not published
• ✗How to post bond — not published
• ✗Phone, video and commissary rates — not published

This rates disclosure, not conduct — what Cherry County publishes about a jail its taxpayers own, checked 2026-08-25. Nothing here says the jail is run well or badly. Every mark moves the moment the county posts the document.

The Building

You paid for it. Here is what the record says it cost.

• Year builtNot found
• Original costNot found
• Paid for byNot found
• BedsNot found

The Sheriff

Sheriff Rusty Osburn

• Runs the jailYes — the sheriff's office page states the sheriff's duties include jail-related public safety work; the county's Justice Center (detention facility) is a separate page but under the sheriff's office
• Office365 N Main Street #9, Valentine, NE 69201
• Contact(402) 376-1890

Source: Cherry County Sheriff's Office · checked 2026-08-25

The Judges

Nebraska uses merit selection with retention elections for every trial court judge, including the county court judge who sets bail at first appearance. The Governor appoints from a list submitted by a judicial nominating commission (Neb. Const. Art. V, sec. 21); an appointed judge later faces an uncontested retention vote. District Court (general jurisdiction) and County Court (bail at first appearance, misdemeanors, probate, most juvenile matters) are both state courts, not county offices. No sitting judge's name for this county was found on a source opened this session, so judges are recorded as Not found rather than guessed.

Source: the state judiciary · checked 2026-08-25

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 →