Juvenile detention intake edges up; sheriff reports staffing shortages and higher average jail population

Washington County officials received monthly reports from the juvenile detention center (JDC) and the sheriff's office at the Dec. 2 Quorum Court County Services Committee meeting.

JDC monthly report A county planning/staff speaker provided the JDC's November report: the center recorded 23 intakes for the 30-day reporting period, with an average length of stay of 8.24 days and an average daily population of 15.16. The highest intake category was battery (second-degree felony) with four cases. The report said those intakes came from both Washington and Madison counties and noted 14 total transports during the month; six transports were performed by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and eight by the JDC.

Committee members asked about capacity and holiday needs. The JDC report noted the facility has 36 physical beds but uses 27 for operations; staff said double bunks exist in several rooms but are avoided when possible to comply with protocols and keep juveniles separate. Justice Ekey asked whether court members could be notified if the center needed donations for the Christmas season; the JDC representative said volunteers frequently bring baked goods and gift bags and the center would notify the court if needs arise.

Sheriff's report Sheriff Jay Cantrell delivered the sheriff's office report for the sheriff's patrol and detention sections covering Oct. 16 through Nov. 15, 2024. Cantrell said calls for patrol service were down year over year, but the jail population posed other problems: detention intakes were lower but the average daily population for state prisoners was higher. Cantrell said the office's average daily state prisoner population was 136 for the reporting period, although that count had briefly spiked to 176 the previous day; the department transferred 30 inmates to the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) the morning prior to the meeting to relieve housing pressure.

Staffing and health details Cantrell said the detention division remained understaffed, "We're still 35 short on detention but we've got some applicants in the queue that are working through the process," and said the enforcement section was about six deputies short but that applicant numbers were improving.

On health matters, the sheriff reported three COVID-19 positive inmates and 46 people in quarantine or exposure status; he noted that, if no new symptoms developed, those in quarantine would be released from quarantine in a couple of days. Committee members asked about women in custody and the number sleeping on the floor; the sheriff reported 132 women in custody and a morning count of 167 people sleeping on the floor (a high count noted in the meeting).

What committee members asked staff to do Committee members thanked staff for the reports and asked planning and detention staff to notify justices if the JDC had holiday needs and to continue efforts to increase recruitment for detention and enforcement staffing.