SFC Sheriff’s Department begins moving to new jail

County’s new detention center able to house over 140

The St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department has started moving into the county’s new jail on Highway 1 South.

The facility, funded with 5/8ths of a one-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2019, is costing the county about $10 million, which is $3 million less than original estimates.

The bonds funding the construction are scheduled to be retired in 2019 at which time 5/8ths of the penny tax will sunset. The remaining tax is permanent and will fund maintenance of the facility along with the county’s juvenile programs.

“We’re really excited,” St. Francis County Sheriff Bobby May said. “We are actually moving some things in now. The first things we have to move are the offices and filing cabinets and those things.”

May said the majority of the county’s criminal investigation team will be relocated to the new jail, but he plans to keep one CID officer at the courthouse where he and chief deputy Gene Wingo will spend the majority of their time.

“I will be at the courthouse 90% of the time because that’s where people come when they need to see me,” said May. “Gene will be with me, but he will also have an office at the new jail, and so will I.”

May said that once the jail staff gets everything set up, they can begin moving inmates into the new facility.

“We’re hoping next week that we can start moving our inmates in there. We’re very anxious to get that done,” said May. “We have to have our crews set up first so that once we get everyone moved, we can tend to them.”

May said the new jail, which has the capacity to house more than 140 inmates, will be able to hold more of those charged with misdemeanor offenses.

“A lot of people just don’t realize that two-thirds of that old jail was condemned. We could only hold a maximum of 40 inmates, and we have to have that for felons. We’ve currently not been able to hold misdemeanors because we’ve been hurting for bed space.”

May also said the new jail is constructed in a way that it should last for years.

“That jail is built to last, but the key is keeping it maintained,” said May. “The way that jail is designed, it would be easy to add on to if that is needed later. It will also be easy for crews to work on it. For example, the plumbing is designed in a way that plumbers can walk behind each cell to deal with any problems.”

“That jail is built to last, but the key is keeping it maintained.” – SFC Sheriff Bobby May

Brodie Johnson • Times-Herald St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigator Capt. J.R. Kersey places items from the CID office into a box as divisions within the sheriff’s department begin moving into the county’s new detention center. The jail, located on Highway 1 South, will begin housing prisoners before the end of this month. County residents approved a sales tax to fund construction of the facility.