The role of the correctional system is to ensure that an offender's sentence is carried out, whether it is time in jail, parole, probation, or completing community service. The goal of Columbia County Corrections is to fulfill that role while also working to reduce recidivism within the inmate community.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office operates a jail for local offenders with sentences that are handed down from any one of the following courts:
 

• Columbia County Circuit Court
• Columbia County Justice Court
• St. Helens Municipal Court
• Scappoose Municipal Court
   

The County Jail typically houses inmates with misdemeanor sentences that are less than a year, as well as detainees awaiting trial or sentencing. Inmates with longer sentences or more violent, felony convictions, will typically be held only temporarily pending transfer to a state prison.