Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Jail Division receives a Best of the Best award from the Iowa Department of Corrections. Photo Courtesy of Dallas County Sheriff’s Office

A Dallas County group that isn’t usually in the public spotlight recently received state recognition.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante says the county’s jail division received a Best of the Best award from the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC). Eight counties, including Dallas, were recognized as having top-performing jails in the state.

Infante details that the DOC inspects all Iowa jails each year. The inspector will go through the jail’s paperwork, interview inmates and walk through the cells and the facility. While the inspector generally gives feedback on where to improve, Infante says he informed them the Dallas County Jail Division would be receiving the Best of the Best Award.

“We were very honored and really, it’s just a ton of work by that jail staff that nobody really sees. These jail staff members, they’re back behind the concrete wall. And they take pride in what they do and they absolutely deserve it. It was a great honor.”

The DOC evaluates jails across three categories based on capacity. Dallas County was recognized in the large jail category for 101 beds or more.