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Officials report rising inmate counts and repeated repairs at Faulkner County jail; Unit 2 construction advancing with ARP funds
Summary
Chief Deputy Chad Willie reported rising average custody counts in April and ongoing maintenance problems in Unit 1 and Unit 2; County Administrator Randy Higgins and Road Administrator Tom Anderson said Unit 2 construction is progressing and that the county is moving to spend $7 million in ARP funds appropriated to the project.
Faulkner County officials reported growing custody pressures and steady progress on a planned detention expansion during the Quorum Court meeting.
Chief Deputy Chad Willie told the court that in April the jail’s average counts included roughly 160 male inmates, 56 female inmates and 12 juveniles; he also reported about 456 intakes and about 489 releases and said average ADC inmate numbers are increasing. Willie warned maintenance costs are mounting as parts of the facility age and described repeated plumbing failures: “the pipes are just rotted…they’ll fix a good section and right where they stop it, springs a leak on the other side,” he said, noting a recent $85,000 work order for Unit 2 shower and commode repairs.
Justice Lyon asked whether the ADC population increases had a clear cause; Willie responded that the county is limited by available placement space and that the county works with others to move inmates when space allows. Several justices referenced longstanding discussions about whether the county should build a new jail to address recurring infrastructure failures and overcrowding.
County Administrator Randy Higgins and Road Administrator Tom Anderson updated the court on Unit 2 construction. Higgins said crews have completed parts of the foundation work and sewer-line relocation, materials such as doors have started arriving and the county is working to spend the $7 million in ARP funds appropriated for the project this year. Anderson said about $890,000 in ARP expenditures have been recorded since the last report and that roughly $865,000 of that has been spent on the jail project; he reported foundations poured, initial steel deliveries and ongoing site work. The administrators said they expect continued progress and invited court members to schedule site tours.
The court did not take action on new jail financing at the meeting; the updates served as operational briefings and prompted questions about long-term facility needs and maintenance budgets.
