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Sheriff reports jail overcrowding, says 170 people slept on floor; justices debate city charges and staffing
Summary
Sheriff Cantrol told the committee the jail lost 96 beds during a COVID remodel and reported 170 people were sleeping without a bed last night; justices discussed staffing shortfalls, construction timelines and options for charging cities for housing costs.
Sheriff Cantrol told the Washington County Services Committee that detention and calls for service are up modestly and that the jail is stretched.
“Last night there were 170 uh sleeping without a without a bed,” Cantrol said, attributing part of the pressure to a 96‑bed loss during a COVID mitigation remodel. He said average daily state prisoners recently measured about 206 and that roughly 198 people were waiting for state prison beds, producing an average six‑month wait from conviction to placement at the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC).
Committee members questioned staffing and construction timetables. Cantrol said the unfinished wing of the jail remains a dry shell without heat, plumbing or sprinklers and that contractors expect to finish work and turn over completed areas in the first part of July. He also reported the detention division was about 25 employees short while patrol and communications were closer to full strength.
Board members pressed on fiscal options for the long‑term: some advocated a per‑diem or daily housing fee charged to municipalities that send detainees to the county facility, others favored the existing interlocal agreement under which cities sign to cover per‑capita costs at year end if the jail runs over budget. Justices discussed how annexation and census shifts affect the county's share of sales tax revenue and noted the county's maintenance and operations sales tax method is unusual compared with neighboring counties.
Director Tinsley had earlier presented the juvenile detention monthly report for April: 25 intakes in 28 days, an average length of stay of 14.31 days and an average daily population of about 10.68 residents; three intakes were for aggravated assault on a family or household member.
Several justices urged the administration to work with cities now so municipalities can budget for any change in housing rates, and the committee agreed the budget and finance committee will review interlocal and rate options ahead of the next budget cycle.
