Newton County Told Its Jail At Jasper Below Standards
Last updated Friday, July 4, 2008 7:07 PM CDT in News
By The Associated Press
JASPER - The Newton County Jail, where two inmates committed suicide earlier this year, currently holds no inmates after Sheriff Keith Slope temporarily closed the facility.
That situation could become permanent if the jail isn't brought up to state standards, county officials have been told by the Arkansas Criminal Detention Facilities Review Committee.
Following the two suicides, questions were raised about the jail's safety, and Slope sent its inmates to the Carroll County Jail.
The state jail standards panel has sent Newton County Judge Harold Smith - the county's top elected administrator, not a judicial officer - a letter concerning the jail.
That letter listed problems found in jail inspections, which the county was told about but hasn't corrected, including:
• Chronic overcrowding. "It is dangerous and too small to meet county needs," the letter said.
• Not enough staff.
• Not enough space for inmates to exercise. "This impacts the health of inmates and increases the cost of medical bills for the county," the letter said.
• Insufficient space to separate juveniles from adults and men from women, as required by law.
• Cell design. The cells don't meet general housing and square footage requirements according to the law.
• Insufficient space for secure visitation. Visitors or inmates could be injured, or contraband could be passed to an inmate.
• No secure booking area, which the letter called "a very dangerous situation."
• Not enough storage for equipment and supplies, as well as for staff functions.
• No firefighting equipment or smoke and fire alarms.
• A dilapidated kitchen too small to fix proper meals.
"This is not a safe facility," the letter stated.
The letter states the committee will inspect the jail again after six months, and if those problems haven't been corrected it may ask the attorney general's office to take court action.
Randy Rankin, coordinator of the jail standards committee, said the panel will work with the county to help remedy its problems.
Newton County isn't the only one in Arkansas with jail problems, he said.
"We try to help the jails, not hurt them," Rankin said. "There have been several counties in the same situation."
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