NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — There is little that rural Franklin County residents can do to stop a proposed halfway house for female parolees if the facility meets all Department of Community Correction requirements, department officials said.
But an area legislator said Tuesday he and others areexploring the possibility that a nearby municipality could enact zoning regulations to prevent establishment of the facility if the restrictions are approved before an application is submitted to the state.
State Rep. John Paul Wells, D-Paris, and state Sen. Ruth Whitaker, R-Cedarville, said Monday at the close of a community meeting about the issue that they were opposed to the halfway house.
Wells said Tuesday he had talked to attorneys about whether the nearby communities of Altus or Denning could pass a zoning ordinance that could block the halfway house. Altus Mayor Veronica Post said she was checking with the Arkansas MunicipalLeague about possible ideas.
Mark Hayes, an attorney with the municipal league, said he couldn’t comment without specific information about the situation.
About 150 people packed the community center in the unincorporated Franklin County community of Greenwood, most voicing their op-position to a halfway house that would house six female parolees from a community correction facility.
Residents and officials have been told that Martha McCormick Moore wants to open the halfway house in a house she owns in Greenwood, a community south of Altus and Denning in southeast Franklin County.
During the hour-long meeting Monday, residents expressed frustration at the lack of details from Moore and not getting notice from the Community Correction Department about the proposed facility. Moore did not attend Monday’s meeting and didn’t return messages left at her home.
Many said they were afraid to have convicted criminals in their midst because of the potential danger they could pose to children and the elderly if they became violent. Some said during the meeting they were told the parolees would not be supervised.
“All I’ve heard is rumors,” resident Leroy Harviston said. “And I hear a lot of fear in those rumors.”
Some residents said it would be a disservice to put the parolees in Greenwood because it is far from large towns. Sara Reams said there were no jobs nearby and no care providers in the county for substance abuse or psychiatric problems.
Sheriff Reed Haynes said the house can’t be seen from the road. Patrolling deputies would not be able to observe the house and patrols would be ineffective because the parolees would not be able to see the law enforcement presence.
Also, Haynes said it wouldtake 30 minutes to get from Ozark to the halfway house in case of emergency.
David Eberhard, director of the Community Correction Department, told the crowd that Moore has not submitted an application for a license to operate a halfway house. Department spokesman Rhonda Sharp said Monday that Moore still was putting together paperwork for the application.
Assistant director Jeff Tillman, who also was at Monday’s meeting, said the house would have to be suitable for habitation, have sufficient space and living facilities and meet zoning, plumbing, electrical and other codes.
If the building meets requirements, along with staffing and programs offered, state law requires that a license must be granted, Eberhard said. Public opposition to the house would not be a consideration.
“If the house meets the legal requirements ... the Department of Community Correction does not have the discretion to deny that license,” Eberhard said.
The officials put some rumors to rest. No parolees would be allowed at the house if they had a history of violence or sex crimes. There also would have to be a house manager on hand around the clock to supervise the residents.
Eberhard said the women who would be eligible to live in the house would come from one of five Community Correction Department centers and would have undergone at least nine months of treatment for alcohol or drug abuse.
The halfway houses are available for those who are eligible for parole but who have no home to return to, he said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 07/21/2010