FAYETTEVILLE — There are still too many state prisoners in the Washington County Detention Center, officials told the Quorum Court Monday, and hope for a short-term solution has faded.
The court's personnel and law enforcement committees met Monday night. Members discussed the county's juvenile and adult facilities and how county employee benefits compare to those of private companies.
Meeting Information
Washington County Finance And Budget Committee
When: 5:30 p.m. today
Where: Quorum Courtroom, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Ave., Fayetteville
On the Agenda: Justices will hear reports on last month’s spending. That includes spending at the county jail, which is still being forced to hold too many state inmates, officials said Monday evening.
For about six months the jail's population has hovered around 600, bumping up costs and violence. Roughly a third of those were waiting to be transferred to state facilities that are likewise holding hundreds more than they were designed for.
Monday evening Washington County's jail population had fallen to 550. Sheriff Tim Helder credited judges and jailers with that drop, adding they're scrutinizing who they send to jail more closely and releasing some nonviolent offenders.
The number of state prisoners was still almost 200, however, according to the Arkansas Department of Correction.
"Business is good," Detention Maj. Randall Denzer told the panel, deadpan.
County jails across the state together are holding almost 3,000 state inmates. Several justices of the peace repeated their annoyance with the state's backlog.
"I'm just amazed the state continues to neglect their responsibility," said Harvey Bowman, representing District 3 in Springdale. "Is there any great hope this will get resolved?"
Helder pointed to the recent fiscal session, which ended with money to open up a couple hundred beds throughout the state system and little else. But he said the problem is pushing state officials to consider more unorthodox solutions, such as focusing more on rehabilitation and community correction over harsh prison terms.
"Those are the things that are going to be impactful later on," Helder said. "We plod on."
The justices also heard the results of a months-long look at benefits for the county's 600 employees. Several, including Bowman and Tom Lundstrum, suspected county employees were being paid more than their private counterparts.
Blair Johanson, the county's salary consultant, said the two groups actually were about even. He compared the county to the federal government and two surveys of local, mostly private businesses and groups from last year.
Benefits like health insurance and retirement plans were roughly the same portion of payroll across the board -- about 25 percent, Johanson said. County employees pay roughly a third of the typical health insurance deductible, but their monthly premiums are 40 percent higher and they get less vacation, according to his report.
"You can see the county's pretty consistent with what's out in the marketplace," Johanson said.
The justices asked to clarify each of the report's numbers, and some remained skeptical. Candy Clark, representing District 12 in southeast Fayetteville, wondered how many groups in the two local surveys were other local governments like towns and cities.
"I'd really like to see apples to apples on where we stand," she said.
Local Reference on 04/08/2014