WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — At a Washington County Quorum Court meeting on May 17, County Judge Patrick Deakins announced plans to reclaim the current Northwest Arkansas Community Corrections Center.
"I really feel we have no choice as a county," Deakins said during the meeting. "We're being told there's no way to facilitate what we are our concerns from the state standpoint. And so, what we are moving into is a transition phase."
This comes as Washington County terminated its lease agreement with the Arkansas Community Corrections (ACC) for the women's correctional treatment facility in response to the state allegedly not doing enough about jail overcrowding issues in the county.
In an email to justices of the peace with the subject line "Keeping you informed," Deakins said a notice of termination letter was sent to ACC on March 29. Deakins said in the email that while the lease termination serves as a 9-month notice of closing the facility, renegotiating the lease is a possibility.
"We are fully preparing to take over that facility at the first of the year and will continue to work towards that," Deakins told the quorum court.
The center currently operates as a women's correctional facility. According to its website, it has 114 beds. Dina Tyler with the Arkansas Department of Corrections told 5NEWS that around 97 people work at the facility, and they have space in a facility in West Memphis where residents would move to.
"Now we want to close the one facility in the whole state that actually is a real treatment center for women. And it just doesn't make sense," said Beth Coger, Justice of the Peace for District 9 and Co-Founder of Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition.
Coger said she is outspoken against jail expansion but passionate about jail reform, which can be seen at this center.
"What goes on at the Women's Center is not like what goes on in our jail," Coger said. "The women there get the help they need. They get drug addiction treatment, alcohol treatment. They get training on being a good parent."
"It saves lives, it changes lives. It reunites families. So why are we wanting to do away with that," Coger added.
She said she is not sold on the potential plans to repurpose the building.
"Building the facility to bring it up to jail standards... that's going to be millions of dollars," Coger said.
Deakins said he is hoping the state will negotiate to keep the facility. The state has until December to decide.
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