New Little River County detention center will hold up to 86 inmates

LITTLE RIVER COUNTY, Ark. (KSLA) — A major construction project is nearing completion on the new Little River County Detention Center.

When Sheriff Bobby Walraven took office in 2017, the Arkansas Jail Standard Board said the present Little River County Jail failed to meet standards and informed county leaders that the facility would be closed if the deficiencies weren’t addressed. County voters later passed a tax increase to build a nearly $9 million jail.

“The people of Little River County have entrusted us and have given our guys the tools to do their jobs,” Walraven said.

The current jail can house only 24 inmates. The new facility will increase that capacity to 86 inmates.

“It’s sad that we have to build these things but, unfortunately, as long as we are in the world we’re in, we are going to need them.”

The sheriff said over the past few years, they have paid other counties to hold some of their inmates.

“We hope that we can change people, but the ones that we can’t, we are going to send a message: we got a place for you,” said Walraven.

He said they hope to start moving inmates to the new detention center in two weeks.

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