Whitfield County Correctional Division Worker Earns Employee Of The Month Honors For June

  • Thursday, August 2, 2018
  • Mitch Talley
photo by Mitch Talley

Positive feedback.

That’s what the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office consistently receives about Officer Jamie Haynes of the Correctional Division.

“Jamie has received positive letters or comments almost constantly over the last year or so,” says Captain Wesley Lynch. “We have had positive feedback on his work from the Recreation Department, Information Technology, 911 Center and various Courthouse departments, among others.”

Not surprisingly, when Capt. Lynch nominated Officer Haynes as Whitfield County Employee of the Month for June, the 16-year county veteran was a hands-down choice for the honor.

“We consistently receive positive comments from other groups regarding Officer Haynes’ work ethic and assistance in supporting their mission,” Capt. Lynch wrote on his nomination form. “Comments include statements such as: ‘He allowed us to teach him the steps to help us even further with completing the lengthy process, and he did it without one complaint. He learned something that he didn’t have to learn. He was willing to offer his help when he didn’t have to offer it; that made us even more thankful for what he did.'”

Officer Haynes serves in the Inmate Work Crew unit where he supervises inmate workers to help with numerous tasks in support of local agencies and the county. He has regularly assisted the county Board of Elections in setting up voting booths and moving equipment. He has overseen mowing and groundskeeping of numerous county buildings and helped to remove more than 60,000 pounds of trash from county roadways in 2017 alone. 

His crew has helped with county projects over the last few years by providing services such as laying sod (for the county recreation department), painting and laying carpet tile (at the 911 Center, IT department and others), as well as refurbishing county properties (Industrial Park cleanup).
These services were provided, almost exclusively, with inmate labor, saving the county hundreds of thousands of dollars of fees and expenses that would otherwise have been used on outside labor or contracts.

In May, Chief Registrar/Election Supervisor Mary Hammontree praised Officer Haynes’ efforts in an email to Capt. Lynch and Sheriff Scott Chitwood.

“I know that I have sent you messages bragging on your guys before; however, I am here to do it again,” Ms. Hammontree wrote. “A few weeks ago I called and asked if Jamie and some of the inmates could help me move the voting machines for Logic & Accuracy Testing; you have to test every machine that goes out each election. Jamie came and brought two inmates with him; they moved each machine (50 pounds each) for us to get this done in three days. This was a record for us in a Primary; we completed the Logic & Accuracy Testing on 115 machines.

“Jamie didn’t just stand around either,” Ms. Hammontree continued. “He allowed us to teach him the steps to help us even further with completing the lengthy process, and he did it without one complaint. I want to tell you all how helpful and awesome that your guys are that come help in elections. I think you and your staff deserve a big hand of applause.  Oh, and the inmates were very respectful to me and my staff.”

Whitfield County Public Works Director DeWayne Hunt, in a 2017 email, also praised the work that Officer Haynes and his co-worker, Eric Leatherwood, accomplished with inmate labor, cleaning up litter along the South Bypass. “I wish it would stay like it is,” Dir. Hunt said. “The SBP looks awesome.”

In 2017, Jeff Cochran from the recreation department praised Officer Haynes and Sgt. Tracy Davis for their efforts in leading an inmate work crew that installed several thousand square feet of sod at Edwards Park. Mr. Cochran said the county saved $4,000 to $5,000 in labor costs alone, and he was very complimentary of both officers and the inmates who participated in the program, saying that his people “couldn’t have done it without them.”

To help local residents find out more about him, Officer Haynes filled out the following fun questionnaire.

Name: Jamie Haynes
Job title: Deputy sheriff
Time with the county: 16 years
Where I went to high school: Northwest
My role as a county employee: Serve the community
What keeps my job interesting: Always something different
What gives me a sense of accomplishment on the job: Knowing the job was done right the first time.
Where I grew up: Tunnel Hill
Family: Wife Robin Haynes, mother Linda Haynes, sister Kim Sneed
After work, I enjoy: Fishing and camping
Favorite TV show: Alone
Favorite sport/sports team: College football / Florida State Seminoles
Favorite meal: Low country boil
Favorite song: Merle Haggard’s “Are the Good Times Really Over”
Favorite Whitfield County restaurant: Cherokee Brewing & Pizza Company
You can pick four people to have dinner with (anyone from any time in history). Who are your four people and why? 1) Jimi Hendrix – to get his perspective on how Woodstock really was. 2) Gerald Swindle – to learn what makes him the best jig fisherman in the industry. 3) Mike Iaconelli – to learn how he stays so focused and upbeat while fishing tournaments. 4) Ish Monroe – to learn what makes him the best frog fisherman on tour.
Favorite vehicle: ’32 Ford pickup
Early riser or sleep-in: Early riser
Pet peeve: People who quit before they ever try
If I’ve learned one thing in life, it’s: Always trust your instincts
Who has had the most impact on my life: My mother, for teaching me strong work ethics.
If I could have been in any profession of my choosing, I would have been a: Guide Fishing Service
If I could have two wishes, they would be: 1) That all veterans had the medical and housing they deserve. 2) To be able to have my own fishing guide charter.
The best advice I ever got: Never give up and always fight for what you want.

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