The Faulkner County Jail issue

If the private sector were considering capital investment projects, each would follow a well-worn path. The first would be a ‘needs’ study. Such a study is sometimes called a market assessment, a demand analysis, or some other term focusing on the need for additional capacity. Following a needs analysis, the second step is determining the amount of capacity needed. The third is to identify where the added capacity is to be located. The fourth is to estimate the additional operational and maintenance expense associated with the added capacity. O & M expenses will be paid by County taxpayers.

Returning to the expansion of the County jail, the first step is complete a ‘needs’ study. A ‘needs’ study has not been completed for any jail expansion in Faulkner County. So far, the only justification has been based ‘he said,’ ‘everyone knows,’ or some other reference to an unknown supernatural authority.

The Sheriff’s office publishes monthly averages of the daily occupancy by inmates in the County’s jails. If one examines the last 38 months of the reports, then a picture of the jail’s capacity and occupancy is shown in Chart 1.

The number of inmates (dashed line) is always below the jails’ capacity (solid line). It is clear from Chart 1 that the number of inmates is always less than the jails’ capacity. There is no current need for additional jail space.

The dip in the number of inmates in mid-2020 reflects the coronavirus outbreak and the courts were not in session. No courts, no convictions, and no new inmates.

Faulkner County has two jails. Unit 2 is on German Lane and provides space for 218 male inmates, 88 females, and 16 juveniles. Unit 1 is on the courthouse property and has space for 118 male inmates.

However, an investigation of Unit 1 shows a different situation. Unit 1 houses ‘violent’ inmates. The FBI defines the types of crimes that are included in the violent category. However, the Sheriff’s office does not provide an operational definition of violent inmates housed in Unit 1.

Chart 2 shows the capacity and the average monthly number of inmates in Unit 1.

Unit 1 is sometimes overcrowded. The number of inmates (dashed line) exceeds the Unit’s capacity (solid line) during some months. The average monthly occupancy exceeds the capacity by 11 inmates. Even if this Unit is temporarily overcrowded, there have been no major disturbances in the facility.

So what might be a solution to the periodic overcrowding in Unit 1 and the presence of unused space in Unit 2? The least-cost solution is to reconfigure Unit 2 to accommodate the crowded conditions in Unit 1.

But the story of reconfiguring Unit 2 to accommodate crowding in Unit 1 does not end the story. The inmates in both units consist of a mix of State prisoners awaiting transfer to State prisons and County prisoners.

Chart 3 shows the mix of inmates. The number of State inmates housed in Faulkner County jails averages 62 persons per month.

If Faulkner County builds additional jail space, then Faulkner County taxpayers are paying to operate jail space for State prisoners.

The State Legislature has funded an additional 498 new beds in the Calico Rock jail facility. When this unit is operational, the number of State prisoners housed in all county jails will be reduced. This additional space in State jails is needed, but it is insufficient to house the number of State inmates awaiting transfer from county jails.

The story of the jail does not even end here. Future jail capacity must be addressed. Sentencing policies, particularly for drug offenses, are the most significant factor driving incarceration rates. The need for future jail capacity is dependent on a host of interrelated factors that must be addressed before the County spends millions.

So, how is the current jail discussion summarized? There are three interrelated answers. First, absent a needs study, there is no foundation or proof that the public interest is served by building a new jail. Unit 2 may require reconfiguration to accommodate the mostly overcrowded Unit 1.

Second, if Faulkner County decides to construct a new jail, it will be to house State prisoners just not Faulkner County prisoners.

Third, if Faulkner County’s future jail needs are of concern, then a comprehensive analysis of all the factors affecting the future jail population must be considered, along with its cost and identifying a source of financing.

Will Faulkner County have enough revenue to fund the future increase in operation and maintenance costs associated with a new jail? If so, funding for a new jail will be at a cost of not funding additional worthy activities, such as the animal shelter, employee salary increases to offset inflation and others.