JPs tackle jail overcrowding
BENTONVILLE — Justices of the peace plan to begin discussing how to pay for a jail expansion and the increased operating costs that would come with more space.
The Detention and Facilities Subcommittee was created this month after voters rejected sales tax measures in the November general election. Voters defeated a $241 million plan to expand the jail and build a new criminal justice complex, with bonds to be paid for by a temporary sales tax increase, as well as a permanent sales tax to pay for jail operations.
Justice of the Peace Joel Edwards is chairman of the subcommittee. Justices of the Peace Brian Armas, Carrie Perrien Smith, Joseph Bollinger, Richard McKeehan, Ron Homeyer and Danny McCrackin will be the subcommittee’s other members.
“I see my role on the committee to be a voice to help develop and bring creative, fiscally conservative solutions for our jail overcrowding issue to the Quorum Court without a need to raise our already burdensome tax rates,” Bollinger said. “I would like to see solutions that will help accommodate our misdemeanor jail population, give assistance to our prosecutors and public defenders to accelerate our pretrial procedures and to bring more rehabilitative programs to Benton County to help avoid repeat offenders.”
Benton County Judge Barry Moehring announced the creation of the subcommittee on Jan. 6.
The subcommittee will hold its first meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 2 at the jail on Southwest 14th Street, Edwards said. Justices of the peace will tour the jail prior to their first meeting. The subcommittee will meet monthly, Edwards said.
The subcommittee won’t rush to make any recommendations, he said.
The Benton County Jail population has exceeded 800 at times in the past year, according to Sheriff Shawn Holloway. There were 722 inmates on Friday. The jail has 669 beds, but inmates must be segregated by different categories.
The county has $8 million to $9 million of unencumbered money from the American Rescue Plan, along with money in reserves to pay to expand the jail, Edwards said. The county may be able to afford adding 200 beds to the jail, along with improving the medical and kitchen areas, he said.
The subcommittee will have to look at how many new employees the jail would need if expanded. Edwards said the county will have to find a way to pay for the additional employees. He believes voters may support a sales tax increase designated for the Sheriff ’s Office.
Courts facilities will also be a target for the committee.
The county spent $3.1 million to add 5,500 square feet to the 28,000-squarefoot courthouse downtown last year to provide a new courtroom for Christine Horwart, who became the county’s seventh circuit court judge in January 2021. The county financed the project.
Benton County may get its eighth circuit judge in a few years and county officials will need a courtroom and office space for the judge, Edwards said.
The county is moving the tax collector’s and tax assessor’s office from the first floor of the Benton County Administration Building to a site in Rogers. Edwards said a new courtroom could be put in the Administration Building. He said the county could use American Rescue Plan money to build two courtrooms, along with offices for prosecutors and public defenders near the jail.
The committee will look at all the options.
Edwards said he and other justices of the peace support diversion programs, but justices of the peace cannot force elected officials to begin any programs.
Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, said she was encouraged by Moehring starting the committee. The coalition opposes jail expansion in Benton and Washington counties.
Moore said she plans to attend the committee meetings to continue advocating for alternatives to a jail expansion.
Holloway said the subcommittee would help guide officials as they move forward with jail expansion plans.
“Our current facilities are not sufficient and will not withstand the growth of Benton County,” he said. “The subcommittee is a critical step in ensuring the safety of our families and preserving our quality of life here in Benton County.”
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith said he appreciates Moehring and the Quorum Court for continuing to work on the issue.
“The best solution for our growing community will involve both alternative sentencing and an expanded jail,” Smith said. “I look forward to working with the subcommittee to help find solutions that will keep our community safe.”