🎓 Pike County Sheriff’s Office Celebrates Five Adult Detention Officer Graduates! 👮🏾‍♂️👮🏾‍♀️

September 3, 2026

Sheriff Bryant “Wally” Jones, Chief Deputy Damian Gatlin, and Major Jewel Hines proudly recognize and congratulate five Pike County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center Officers who successfully graduated from the Adult Detention Officers Graduation on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Graduates includes: Yvonne Baker, Vernon Alexander Cockerham, Jr., Julie Elizabeth Etheridge, Dana Ashlyn Jackson, and Jessica Nicole Matthews.

Congratulations to our five Pike County Correctional Officers on their September 3, 2026 graduation from the Adult Detention Officer Training Course, hosted by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office!
This standardized program required a minimum of 96 academic hours, along with additional hands-on training in job-related skills, to prepare our officers for the demands of the profession. Graduates are now qualified to pursue state certification under Mississippi Minimum Standards.

A special thank you to Academy Administrator Clay McPherson and his staff for their outstanding training of our officers.
Congratulations to all the graduates of Class 2-2026!

The Pike County Sheriff's Department is incredibly proud of these officers for their dedication and hard work in completing this rigorous training and taking this important step forward in their careers.

Congratulations, and thank you for your commitment to serving our community!

Sheriff Bryant “Wally” Jones stated:
“This graduation represents more than completing a training course—it represents a commitment to excellence, discipline, and service. Our detention officers carry an important responsibility each day, and we expect them to be prepared, professional, and dedicated to the safety and security of those in their care. I am extremely proud of these five graduates and the hard work they have demonstrated. They have taken an important step forward in their careers, and I know they will continue to represent the Pike County Sheriff’s Office with professionalism, integrity, and pride.”

Provided by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office Public Relations Department.

#TeamWallyJones