MONTICELLO -- Although on-again, off-again talks to build a new jail in this area of the state led last month to a contract to hold hundreds of state inmates, local elected officials in Drew County said they are still scrambling for answers about the project.
At a county Quorum Court meeting Monday night, questions -- namely, where the jail would sit -- were aired by justices of the peace, several of whom expressed displeasure at the nature of the talks despite optimism that the project could provide jobs and tax dollars.
"I think a lot of people here are a little bit upset because we haven't been informed," said Justice of the Peace Tommy Gray. "There was not very much above the table on this."
County Judge Robert Akin told the Quorum Court that he had spent three to four years negotiating with LaSalle Corrections, a for-profit company based in Louisiana, about building and running a new 600-bed jail in the area.
Those talks suddenly took a step forward last month when the Arkansas Board of Corrections approved a 20-year contract with Drew and Bradley counties to hold as many as 500 state inmates at the jail once it's completed.
But the counties have yet to finalize their agreement with LaSalle. No votes on the project were taken Monday by the Drew County Quorum Court.
Instead, several justices of the peace said they were concerned that Drew County would be left behind in the rush to execute a deal -- especially if LaSalle decided to build the jail in Bradley County and take the property-tax dollars with it.
Others said they were concerned that the local representative in the Legislature -- Rep. LeAnne Burch, D-Monticello -- had been left out of discussions while a lawmaker from Bradley County, Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, was more closely involved.
"Is [Burch] not being informed? After all, she represents a large part of Drew County," Justice of the Peace Chris Barnett asked. "Jeff only does just a small section."
Wardlaw was involved with Akin in scouting potential contractors for the jail and has visited LaSalle facilities in both Louisiana and Texas. Asked how he got involved, Wardlaw said Tuesday, "I just call people every day and ask."
Burch was unable to attend Monday's Quorum Court meeting because of a previous commitment, she said. In a phone call Tuesday morning, Burch said she "was in the same boat" as justices of the peace in hoping to get more information.
For example, Burch said she had asked Akin to keep her informed about the project. Akin acknowledged to a reporter Tuesday that he had not called her to discuss it. The Board of Corrections announced a meeting last month to consider having a contract with the counties; Burch said she was made aware of the meeting only when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette contacted her about it.
"When the ball got to rolling again, it got rolling pretty fast," Akin said.
Akin and the county's attorney, C.C. "Cliff" Gibson, defended the project's transparency, noting the attention it has received in state and local media outlets. They also touted its benefits, including a projected $200,000-a-year savings in jail costs for the county.
If built and operated by LaSalle, the jail would be the first adult lockup in the state in nearly two decades to be run by a for-profit company, a point that has caused backlash from some prison-overhaul advocates.
Earlier Monday, the Democrat-Gazette reported that Gibson said a 2018 contract between Drew County, Bradley County and LaSalle was likely invalid because the Quorum Court had not voted to waive competitive bidding on the project.
The newspaper has also reported that LaSalle, which holds several hundred state inmates at a facility in Texarkana, Texas, has been cited by that state's jail watchdog for failing to conduct regular cell checks. The company has responded, saying it has implemented new systems to ensure cell checks are done.
"It's been in the newspapers, it's been talked about openly, publicly in this Quorum Court room," Gibson said. "It's not been a secret, if Ms. Burch wanted to be involved."
At least two members of the Quorum Court said they wanted better assurances that LaSalle would build the jail in Drew County, which would have to pay for a larger share of beds than the smaller Bradley County.
While no site has been confirmed, a representative from the company told the court that a site near Wilmar -- which is in Drew County and close to the border with Bradley County -- has been scouted as a possible building site.
Wardlaw, the state representative from Bradley County, also represents a portion of Drew County that includes Wilmar. He said he does not have a preference of where the jail is built in either county. Burch, whose district includes the county seat of Monticello, said that wherever the jail is built in the two counties, she felt the potential for "jobs and economic development" would benefit her district.
"Everybody here wants to have this regional jail," said Gray, a justice of the peace. "The only thing we're fussing about is probably the location."
Metro on 10/23/2019