LONOKE, Ark. — The Lonoke Police Department has announced that they will soon be reopening the city jail after it had been closed for the past several years.
The decision to reopen the jail came from the new Lonoke Police Chief Keith Graham, who explained how the department needed a facelift to look more professional and inviting.
"Phase one has basically been getting the front of the building looking more professional and more inviting to everybody that can come in and traffic to stop in and ever ask questions," Chief described.
With phase one near competition, the next step was to move onto the jail itself, by re-painting the walls and re-branding the exterior.
"County jails are full, they're always struggling to be able to have bed space. So having our jail as a 24-hour facility, we can hold people," Chief Graham said.
A project of that magnitude calls for more help, especially when the jail finally reopens.
"I've kind of set my goal at about four jailers. So we'd have one jailer per shift because we work 12-hour shifts and we'll always have someone on duty," said Chief Graham.
While the facility will keep people in Lonoke safe, Chief Graham explained that protection won't cost taxpayers.
"Most of that stuff has been budgeted in already by the city council. So they've been very accepting, and they want this to be done. We're also doing a lot of this ourselves," he explained.
Chief Graham said this is more than jail, it's an opportunity to help the community.
He wants people to know that there are consequences to their actions, and having the jail provides an opportunity for that.
The department's goal is to have the jail completed and reopened by the end of 2024.