LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Pulaski County Detention Center is one of many experiencing overcrowding.
Officials said more bed space is needed, but that isn't the only issue.
"We are consistently overcrowded," Pulaski County Sheriff's Office Capt. Robert Garrett said.
They have had this issue since before COVID.
Garrett said the jail averages 1,300 inmates, but the maximum bed space is 1,200.
To get the numbers down, the sheriff and judges agreed to release certain misdemeanors to free up bed space. They are still experiencing overcrowding.
Earlier this year, the Arkansas General Assembly passed the Protect Act to help solve this problem.
The law will designate $470 million for 3,000 more prison beds.
But when the Department of Corrections director asked for 600 more beds to be added in the prisons, the Board of Corrections said no.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this decision was unacceptable and asked the board to have an emergency meeting to vote on adding additional beds.
We reached out to the board for a response, and they declined.
The state has almost 2,000 inmates backed up in county jails who are awaiting a prison bed. The next meeting for the Board of Corrections will be in December.
Pulaski County Detention Center also has staffing shortages. They have increased correctional officers' salaries, which has helped.
They also have a program to try to keep people out of prison by teaching inmates life skills that will hopefully keep the recidivism rate down.
"If we don't give them anything different, and we just house them for a short period... send them back into the community, they are going to come back," Garrett said.