PINE BLUFF -- A program that will put parolees to work tearing down condemned homes in Pine Bluff has hit another delay.
Dina Tyler, a deputy director at the Arkansas Department of Community Correction said in an emailed statement that hiring a supervisor for the program took longer than expected, which also delayed the bidding process for equipment needed for the program.
"We are now waiting for the bids to be submitted and processed," Tyler said, noting that a supervisor has been hired. "We will then make a selection and begin the training with the new provider. We are hoping to begin the program within the next 60 days."
The Arkansas Department of Community Correction has received an $830,000 grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for the pilot project, which could spread to other cities in the future, Community Correction officials have said.
The parolee program had been scheduled to begin earlier this year, but it was delayed that time because details were not quite ironed out yet, Tyler said. Pine Bluff Mayor Debe Hollingsworth said asbestos testing in the homes targeted for demolition has also contributed to the start date being pushed back.
With about 600 houses in Pine Bluff scheduled for demolition, city leaders said the task would take several years without some help. Hollingsworth said the demolitions will primarily take place in neighborhoods that have higher crime rates.
Randy Wallace's neighborhood near downtown has several dilapidated homes that have long needed demolition. Wallace said he has watched the area around his home deteriorate over the past decade as people have moved away or abandoned their properties.
"It's a real shame what has happened to some really good neighborhoods here in the city," Wallace said.
"I am glad the city is trying to do something to tear down these old houses, but then we will just be stuck with a bunch of vacant lots. It would be nice if we could bring families back into these neighborhoods. Families are what make a neighborhood."
Kevin Murphy, assistant director of re-entry and volunteer services at the Department of Community Correction, said the program will offer up to 40 prisoners an opportunity to learn at least two marketable job skills along with basic job readiness needed to approach the workplace once they are paroled.
Also under the program, officials will hire 10 parolees from Jefferson County who are deemed to be at high risk of returning to prison. The aim is giving offenders a better chance at staying out of prison once they leave the system, Murphy said.
The inmates will be housed at four heavily supervised duplexes in Pine Bluff adjacent to the Southeast Arkansas Community Correction Center. Murphy said the inmates will all be from Jefferson County and will be released back into society once they complete the program.
Inmates will be accepted into the program in groups of 10 for six months at a time, he said. The laborers will work primarily on demolishing old houses, not other kinds of buildings, in the city, Murphy said.
Murphy said the program will benefit the community and the offenders.
"These people will be identified as some of the most likely to re-offend, so we want to take special care with making sure they have all the tools they need to succeed in life after prison," he said.
"It's very difficult to take on life when you are a felon on parole. We hope to make a difference in their lives. It's going to be a win-win for everyone involved."
The program will begin at a time when Pine Bluff leaders are dealing with a slew of problems related to aging structures, primarily downtown buildings. And while the program will focus only on razing condemned houses, it's one of two new efforts to clean up the city.
There has been some talk about what the city will do with the leftover materials from torn-down structures, but no details have been released. In other cities, building owners have torn down structures and sold the materials for profit.
In Ouachita County, several of Bearden's derelict downtown buildings are being torn down, and the owners are selling bricks from them for as much as $5 each. Selling the materials often pays for the demolition, according to contractors.
Terry Logan of Calhoun County often uses reclaimed bricks, doors and other materials in the homes he builds. He said the materials are typically of better quality and can bring heftier prices at market.
"Oftentimes, there is good money in tearing down an old property," Logan said. "But other times, especially with older homes that are just made out of wood, it's not worth my time unless there are specialty carvings in mantels or doors."
In Pine Bluff, some residents are wondering if they can buy materials from demolished homes. City leaders haven't addressed the issue yet, but Johnny Raines said he plans to try to buy wood scraps to make a community art project.
"I have an idea to build sort of a structure dedicated to Pine Bluff's past. I want to use old wood from homes that have been here a long time," he said. "I think it would be a good tribute to all of those who once lived here. And it would be something positive for our city."
State Desk on 07/06/2015