BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials are looking for a quick solution to one problem stemming from overcrowding in the county jail as they search for a way to incarcerate misdemeanor offenders.
Two of the county's district court judges told the justices of the peace at Thursday night's Quorum Court meeting they are facing an emergency in their courtrooms.
What’s Next
Joel Jones, justice of the peace for District 7 and chairman of Benton County’s Public Safety Committee, plans to put the jail overcrowding issue on the agenda for the April 7 committee meeting. The committee will meet at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave., Bentonville.
Source: Staff Report
Judge Ray Bunch, who heads Bentonville District Court, and Paul Bridges, judge in the Rogers District Court, both said they are increasingly frustrated by their inability to have defendants from their courts sent to the jail.
"I find that lately my hands are tied behind my back," Bridges said, recounting one incident in which he sentenced a defendant convicted of a third driving while intoxicated charge to 90 days in jail.
"He was out on the street before I was out of court," Bridges said.
Bridges and Bunch both said defendants in their courts are aware of the limitations judges are dealing with.
"They know before they show up in my court I cannot put them in jail," Bridges said.
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said he's been working with the judges on possible solutions to the problem but was disappointed by a cool reception from justices of the peace at a recent Public Safety Committee meeting.
During the meeting, Capt. Jeremy Guyll explained the possible expansion of jail space for misdemeanor prisoners through the shifting of offices, storage space and other non-jail functions. The county would need to build additional office space to make the move possible.
"Two or three of the JPs, I was told by Capt. Guyll, said they didn't want to see this brought up in mid-year," Cradduck said.
Cradduck said he suggested the district judges speak to the justices of the peace to demonstrate their support for dedicating space for misdemeanor prisoners.
"We called them to ask for their support because of the seeming lack of support from the Quorum Court over the pod we're looking to build onto," Cradduck said. "We've got 550 felons right now. I'm 50 over what I really should have so I can't carry misdemeanors. I just can't."
Cradduck said his office knew the rate of felony arrests was climbing but didn't anticipate the problem growing as fast as it has. The plan being considered would make 25 beds available for misdemeanor prisoners, Cradduck said.
"The judges, their main concern is they have nothing to hold over people," Cradduck said. "I agree with that. I understand that. I sympathize with that. I'm trying to do the best I can to fix it."
County Judge Bob Clinard said the Sheriff's Office contacted him two or three months ago for help with some initial sketches on possible expansions at the jail. Getting engineering and design done and asking for bids would probably take three or four months, with construction taking several months more, he said.
"It could be started by the end of this year, but I don't see how it can be occupied before next spring," Clinard said.
In the interim, Clinard said, he plans to meet with the sheriff's office to find short-term solutions. One possible stop-gap would be to reopen the county's former juvenile detention center for misdemeanor offenders.
Kevin Harrison of District 5 said he's convinced the county is facing an emergency and the Quorum Court needs to act as soon as possible.
"We have to do something," Harrison said. "I'm glad the district judges are getting involved. I know the frustration they've had not being able to put a person in jail just for one day."
Harrison said the Quorum Court needs to look at spending money from the capital reserve fund on the jail, even though the county is also looking at a major construction project for a new courts building.
"This is something we can probably get done fairly quickly," he said. "One year won't make that much difference on the courts building but within a year we might at least have it close to where we can house misdemeanor prisoners."
NW News on 03/21/2015