In December, 1786, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an Act to deed a certain portion of land, containing 149,000 acres, North of the Falls of Ohio to General George Rogers Clark and fifteen of his soldiers.  They were being rewarded for their exploration of the area and land further west in what would become the United States.  This tract of land was named in honor of Clark and was know as his Grant until 1801.

Governor William H. Harrison issued a proclamation, February 3, 1801, dividing the County of Knox and erecting a separate county of Clark.  First court sessions held at Springville, February 4, 1801.  In 1801 Samuel Hay was appointed first Sheriff of Clark County.

On June 9, 1802 the Governor issued an Ordinance for the removal of the Seat of Justice to Jeffersonville.  The courthouse of Clark County was built about 1836 and cost upward of $6,000.  The jail was built in 1858 at the expense of $9,000.00  A Jailer's residence was attached to it.  The jail at that time comprised of ten cells with a general hallway.

In 1878 a new courthouse was built in Jeffersonville.  The new jail contained 28 beds.

In 1970 the old courthouse and jail were torn down and a new complex was constructed.  The new jail had 52 beds with the Sheriff's residence attached.

In January 1987 Sheriff Michael L. Becher took office as Sheriff of Clark County.  The Clark County Sheriff's Office consisted of 6 correctional officers, three matrons, and twenty-five sworn deputies.

Under Sheriff Becher's leadership a new jail was constructed and opened April 15, 1991.  The new Clark County Correctional Facility was built with 144 beds, and since added 53 beds, compared to the 52 beds in the old jail.  The new facility has an indoor and outdoor recreational area and state of the art security system.  To operate the new facility, additional officers had to be hired.

The Clark County Correctional Facility is now staffed with 38 correctional, Chief Deputy Matron, four dispatchers, one full-time nurse, one Chaplain, one work supervisor who takes inmates out in the county to to odd jobs, one medical doctor, two cooks, two maintenance personnel, and one receptionist.  Six of the corrections officers also act as transport officers.

The law enforcement division has 30 sworn deputies.  The law enforcement division has become more specialized under Sheriff Becher's leadership.  We have a strategic operations unit (S.O.U. Team) for any emergency situation involving hostage situations or armed barricaded subjects.  We have an accident reconstructionists and accident investigation team and a state certified arson investigator.

January 1, 1993 Sheriff Michael L. Becher was elected President of the Indiana Sheriff's Association.  He is one of only three Sheriff's in Clark County History to be elected to that position.

In 2002 Sheriff Becher was reelected for sheriff, he will retire in December 2006.  Since 1987 he will have served four, four-year terms as Sheriff and one, four-year term as Chief Deputy.  He has had a distinguished career and led Clark County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Facility into the new millennium.