Quorum Court continues discussion on construction of juvenile detention center

photo by Bradly Gill
Ouachita County Judge Robert McAdoo, Justice of the Peace Fred Lilly and Justice of the Peace Dale Vaughn gather at a meeting held Thursday night to discuss the feasibility of building a detention center in Ouachtia County.
photo by Bradly Gill Ouachita County Judge Robert McAdoo, Justice of the Peace Fred Lilly and Justice of the Peace Dale Vaughn gather at a meeting held Thursday night to discuss the feasibility of building a detention center in Ouachtia County.


Ouachita County Judge Robert McAdoo met with Justices of the Peace, Ouachita County Sheriff David Norwood and County Attorney Margaret Wynne for the second time as a committee formed to conduct a feasibility study for building a juvenile detention center in Ouachita County.

Citing a rise in juvenile crime and violence, a committee of four JPs consisting of Erma Brown, Dale Vaughn, Dennis Truelove, Fred Lilly Sr. and Addie Edwards, was formed to conduct the study at the April meeting of the Ouachita County Quorum Court.

Justices discussed taking a tour of the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center in Jonesboro to get a feel of the facility and to see the layout.

Sheriff Norwood said after discussions with Craighead County, a Thursday or Friday would work best, as they did not have to transport inmates to court on those days.

Judge McAdoo stressed the importance of the potential center as not just a deterrent, but a place of rehabilitation for offenders.

"We've got to have some program and services for these juveniles while they are incarcerated because if not -- if we don't do something with them while they're in there, what are we going to expect them to do when they get back out of there," he said.

"Our JPO (juvenile probation) program is going to have to be actively involved with juveniles while they are in our detention center," he added.

Wynne echoed the sentiment, stating, "I think the goal has to be rehabilitating these teenagers because I think that we see a lot of these teenagers -- I know from my experience -- it comes from the lack of parental authority or love or even guidance. So we are trying to make a difference. I think the services that we provide would be, while trying to be stern and aggressive with them, but also give them the tools and the essential needs that they need emotionally. I think that's the biggest thing that is lacking in a lot of these facilities."

Norwood indicated that the facility could be built attached to the current Ouachita County Detention Center and connected by a hallway, but that the facility would need separate jailers.

He also indicated that the current cafeteria and laundry areas would be sufficient to support any increase in workload added by additional detainees of the Juvenile Detention Center.

"The kitchen and laundry was designed to do 300 inmates," Norwood said.

McAdoo also noted that the center could host juveniles from throughout the 13th Judicial District, with most likely coming from Ouachita and Union counties.

McAdoo also said he believed that if the detention center were connected, the county could use the 1 percent sales tax passed in 2008 to fund the construction.

"We just need to make sure that we we're under the criteria of what voters voted on,"McAdoo said.


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