02/17/2026
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:
Watching Lieutenant Jason Jones work the inmate halls at the Laurel County Correctional Center is watching a seasoned correctional officer enjoying his work. But he’s only been in corrections for two years.
He talks to sergeants and officers making their rounds, gives them instructions and has answers to most of their questions. He goes into cells to give messages to inmates about their lawyer visits or addresses their grievances. That’s a big part of his job as lieutenant. He knows most of them by name. He’s got a big smile that he shows often, but he’s firm when he needs to be.
Jones‘ success and rise as a lieutenant at the LCCC can be credited to his upbringing, work ethic, management experience and accepting an offer from Jailer Jamie Mosley to begin a new career.
“I was looking for a new job and talked to Jamie,” Jones said. “He offered to let me work part time and see if I liked it. Then he sold me on it. He opened the door and I’ve tried to meet and exceed his expectations.”
Jones worked as a manager at Averitt Express for six years, supervising more than 50 drivers. After that, he worked as a manager for 23 years at Chaney Lumber, which was owned by his father, Ed. Chaney Lumber was started in 1951 by Glen Chaney. He sold it to his son-in-law, Ed Jones, in 1999.
When Ed decided to wind down and sell the business, Lt. Jones took a part-time job in the evenings at the correctional center, which was not far from Chaney Lumber and his home.
“It was a great transition for me and my family,” he said. “It’s two miles from my house. Jamie has been very good to me, when he didn’t have to be. We really didn’t have a relationship until I walked through the door. He didn’t owe me anything, he just gave me a shot.”
Jones said he received excellent training from Mosley, Captain Doc Martin and Captain Shawn Davis. They all have similar backgrounds and work ethic.
“Everyone here is excellent to work with,” he said. “We’ve got 100 people working and it’s a very diverse group of people. I’ve learned a lot from about everyone here. I’m just trying to soak it up like a sponge.”
As lieutenant, Jones primary job is it handle inmate grievances, manage the special housing unit (SHU) with Capt. Martin, assist the sergeants and anything else that needs to be done.
“There’s nothing that I’m not willing to do here, whether it’s picking up trash or cleaning toilets,” he said. “That’s the way I was raised. You won’t outwork me.”
Jones said inmate grievances “are a process. Some of the grievances are way out in left field, coming from inmates with mental issues. Then you have people with real grievances, so you have to sit down and read everything thoroughly. You remember that these are people, not just inmates, and you treat them that way.”
That empathy, combined with his reliability and a knack for remembering names and faces have earned Jones respect among the inmate population.
ªA lot of these inmates have been here a couple of years,” he said. “Some of these guys are looking at a life sentence. You’re not only an officer, but you’re a counselor. You’re trying to get them through the day, because you don’t know what they’re dealing with.”
Jones has fit in well in his new profession, and plans to retire at the correctional center sometime down the road. When he heads to the house, he won’t have far to travel.
His grandmother, the well-known Laurel County political figure Billy Chaney, would have been proud that he’s contributing to the success of the LCCC.
“My grandmother was a big proponent of Jamie bringing the jail to Fariston,” Jones said. “She toured the place when he built it. She knew it would build up the community and it would get Hammock Road straightened, which indeed happened. Plus she also knew that Jamie and the work release inmates would pick up the garbage and keep the community clean.”
Jones supports Mosley’s vision of the correctional center setting the bar in the industry for how well a large facility is managed. He enjoys coming to work each day.
ªIt’s a lot like the transpiration industry,” he said. “Everything is so fast paced. You can come in here and work 12 or 13 hours, and it goes by quickly. You’re not sitting here looking at the clock. It’s a lot of people contact. I enjoy that, even though some interactions with inmates are not pleasant. It’s problem solving. I like that.
“I wish I’d done this sooner, and that says a lot.”
