FORT SMITH -- Members of the Sebastian County Quorum Court heard a report recommending ways to reduce crowding in the county jail but expressed concern that the measures also would reduce the revenue to operate the lockup.
County Judge David Hudson on Tuesday presented the results of an analysis of jail operations that was conducted earlier this year by the Council of State Governments Justice Center. The center made four recommendations for the county to consider to relieve crowding.
The study concluded that Sebastian County had several options that could improve the county's justice system, including reducing its reliance on incarceration..
"That is the question," Hudson said. "That is the bottom line. ... Right now, you've got over 100 [prisoners] over-capacity. We want to try to get it to 320."
The first recommendation was to create a criminal justice coordinating council consisting of the different entities of the criminal justice system that play a role in the size of the jail population. Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck told Quorum Court members that each of those entities would have to do its part to reduce incarcerations.
The report recommended that the county continue efforts to divert people who are mentally ill from going to jail and instead go into treatment programs.
Sebastian County should take advantage of opportunities available in Act 423 of 2017, which includes funding for regional crisis intervention centers to screen and provide services for the mentally ill, the report said.
The county also should seek Medicaid funding for services provided by the Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center and for other community-based programs funded by Medicaid, according to the report.
The Quorum Court decided to consider next month a resolution that would start a criminal justice coordinating committee, which could include funding to hire a full-time coordinator. Hudson said the idea for the coordinator position came up a few years ago, but the Quorum Court rejected funding the position.
Hudson told Quorum Court members that lowering the jail population would eliminate the need to expand the jail. The cost of such an expansion has been estimated at $7 million, with another $1 million needed each year to operate a larger jail.
Quorum Court members voiced concern that lowering the jail population also would reduce revenue that the county receives for holding prisoners who are sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Correction, the U.S. Marshals Service, and cities and towns in the county.
In the 2017 budget, Hudson said, the county estimated that it would get $766,500 from the state for holding prisoners who are awaiting space in state prisons; $650,000 from the 40 beds that the Marshals Service reserves for its detainees; and $825,000 from the city of Fort Smith, the largest contributor to the jail population.
Hudson said he didn't believe that the county would realize those amounts by year's end.
"I'm concerned with the stability of the general fund to be able to sustain a several hundred thousand dollar hit because I don't know if we're going to recoup it from misdemeanor billing," he said.
The county bills for misdemeanor prisoners at $54.01 a day, but the sheriff has to release them because the jail is crowded with state prisoners, federal detainees and pre-trial inmates. The county gets nothing for holding pre-trial inmates because they are county prisoners, Hollenbeck said.
Hollenbeck is transferring prison-bound inmates to other counties, Hudson said, and is working with the governor's office to move out prison-bound inmates stuck in the Sebastian County jail.
Housing state prisoners is a mixed blessing for the county. It provides revenue to the county, but the state pays only $30 a day for each prisoner, $24 a day less than it actually costs the county to hold a prisoner.
The 10-year contract with the Marshals Service to hold its prisoners expires this year. Hudson said the county would have the option of not renewing the contract and freeing those 40 beds for other prisoners.
Hudson said Fort Smith also has been aggressive in using monitoring ankle bracelets as an alternative to having prisoners sit in the county jail and paying the $54.01 a day.
NW News on 04/20/2017