County plans ahead for juvenile detention needs
Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63854/
BENTONVILLE — A proposal that would allow Benton County to move forward with its plans to construct a new juvenile detention center could be passed when the Benton County Quorum Court meets at 5 p. m. Thursday.
“ We really need this facility, ” Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott said. “(The juvenile detention center ) is the last chance we get at working with the youth to get them straightened out and on another career path before they reach the other side of the process, ” he said, noting that the other side is oftentimes the Benton County Jail.
The current Benton County Juvenile Detention Center is in the basement of the Benton County Courthouse and contains 17 beds to house juvenile offenders.
“ The JDC now is frequently overflowed, and (offenders ) have to sleep in the halls, ” Winscott said.
The proposed new facility will contain 36 beds, offices for probation officers and a new courtroom for Judge Jay Finch, who currently oversees all of the juvenile cases. The site for the JDC will be on a 50-acre plot owned by the county on Arkansas Highway 102 where the Benton County Jail and Health Department currently reside.
If approved by the Quorum Court, Johnson Troillett Architecture will begin developing a site analysis and master plan of the 50 acres to ensure that the placement of the JDC will not interfere with future growth of the jail and Health Department. The site analysis and master plan should be completed within nine weeks, at a cost not to exceed $ 55, 000.
Upon completion and approval of a master plan and site analysis, Crossland Construction of Bentonville will issue the county a budgetary figure of how much it will cost to complete the JDC. Once the total cost for construction of the JDC is known, the Quorum Court will once again meet to decide whether to proceed with the project.
“ We would like to be able to sign the contract with the construction company before the end of the year, ” Winscott said, noting that the court turns over at the beginning of the year, which could result in a “ catch-up period, ” further delaying construction.
According to Winscott, the county currently has $ 3. 5 million in reserves that could be used for the project, which he hopes will cost no more than $ 6 million. Should the project be approved, Benton County would need to borrow the additional amount needed to complete the JDC.