Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – July 8, 2024 – The Craighead County Quorum Court hosted a tour of the Craighead County Detention Center on Monday night.
Sheriff Marty Boyd led the tour alongside Jail Administrator, Todd Harrell. Judge Marvin Day was also in attendance along with several Justices of the Peace.
Boyd explained that the current facility is approximately 35 years old, and is used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As such, the building has aged much faster than others built around the same time.
The current facility was originally intended to hold 160 inmates. It now holds 390, and has held up to 426 at its max.
“We can’t keep going the way we’re going,” he said. “Overcrowding issues and the growth of the population are things that we have to react to. Right now, we can hold about 390 inmates. I’ve been averaging over 400 for quite some time. And the state says you can’t be overcrowded. We have to stay in compliance.”
His solution: putting a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. It would sunset after 6 to 8 years. And in that time, the county says they should be able to generate roughly $95 million dollars to fund the jail and other public safety projects (like the Sheriff’s Office).
Justices of the Peace attended the tour to see the current condition of the jail and ask questions. They discussed the future needs of the jail facility as well as the Sheriff’s Department.
The tax issue will hear its third reading on July 22. If passed, it will be placed on the ballot in November.
Read previous JRN coverage of the proposed Jail Tax here.
