BENTON — The State Department of Correction has pulled its Act 309 prisoners from the Saline County jail after an inmate got hold of a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, a prison spokesman said Tuesday.
There also are allegations of Act 309 inmates having sexual contact with visitors, prison spokesman Dina Tyler said.
The Act 309 program allows state inmates to work as cooks, landscapers and mechanics at city and county law enforcement agencies and other public institutions.
The reports prompted the state earlier this month to temporarily halt its agreement with the Benton lockup and place the 309 prisoners elsewhere.
A visitor provided the inmate with the malt liquor beverages, and the sheriff’s office plans to arrest that visitor on a contraband charge, Lt. Scott Courtney said. He emphasized that jail staff members caught the alcohol violation.
“We caught him and turned him in,” Courtney said. He declined to give further details while the state is reviewing the issue.
Tyler said the issues raise questions about whether state prisoners were properly supervised at the Saline County jail. She noted it that could be just one jailer not paying attention.
The findings of the state investigation will be presented to an oversight committee Tuesday.
Courtney said the sheriff’s office hopes to continue the 309 program.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 06/24/2010