Washington County jail expansion, explained
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The Washington County Quorum Court voted Thursday night to spend $18.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to expand and upgrade the county jail.
The intrigue: Talk of using ARPA money for the jail has been a point of contention among county officials and constituents for months.
- Supporters say the jail expansion is needed to address overcrowding, especially in light of the region's growing population. Opponents suggest the county should focus on reducing overcrowding by investing in programs such as mental health court or substance abuse treatment.
By the numbers: The jail has capacity for up to 710 detainees, but is considered full with 570 given legal requirements to separate different classifications of detainees. In October, the jail population was 787, with 155 detainees sleeping on mats on the floor, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. The plan is to add about 230 beds.
What's happening: Some quorum court members take issue with spending money intended for COVID relief on the jail project, saying it raises legal and ethical questions about whether it's justifiable ARPA spending, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- "We are setting ourselves up for lawsuits and a federal investigation," justice of the peace Evelyn Rios Stafford said before the vote Thursday.
- Supporters have argued that overcrowding leads to more COVID spread.
Flashback: Voters last month turned down a 0.25% sales tax to fund the jail expansion. The ballot included an option to allow Washington County to issue $113.5 million in bonds to expand the jail as well as $28.5 million in bonds to grow the juvenile court facility.
- The county has already spent $1 million to design the expansion.
What's next: The county expects the project to take two years.