AAC F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S
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that will not allow for use by school buses. The estimated replacement cost for these bridges is more than $230 million. It is evident that the future of Arkansas necessitates that the state and counties continue our long-standing partnership in seeking revenues necessary to maintain our state and local system of roads and bridges. Polk County Judge Brandon Ellison prepared an excellent analysis of gravel road maintenance cost based upon his experience with 1,000 miles of gravel county roads and concluded that the projected annual maintenance based upon 1,000 miles of county gravel road at $2,564 per mile. Finally, Dr. Stacy Williams with the University of Arkansas provided a cost of $5,000 per mile of paved roads for annual county road maintenance. The CJAA has estimated that annual road maintenance costs for county roads (paved and gravel) is more than $150 million. Documentation of these annual maintenance and repair costs supports the conclusions of the Governor’s Working Group that current revenues are insufficient to keep up with maintenance. As a result of Amendment 86 of the Arkansas Constitution, the General Assembly is charged with the responsibility to adopt an annual budget for FY 2017. During the fiscal session, major appropriations concerning
to change and the ‘silo mentality’ are frequently cited reasons for failures in corporations or government agencies.
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Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC), Arkansas Community Correction (ACC) and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) must be adopted. These state budgets collectively will necessarily address — or fail to address — prison and jail overcrowding, behavioral health and conveyance of medical services for inmates under the 90-day Medicaid reach back, etc. One of the biggest headwinds for policy makers and for
state executive officials in addressing these major issues will be breaking down the barriers, such as the “silo mentality.” The “silo mentality” is a failure to share information or work outside a narrow task. Resistance to change and the “silo mentality” are frequently cited reasons for failures in corporations or government agencies. The General Assembly has called upon the Council of State Governments to assist in researching the needs in the criminal justice system and reinvesting those substantial taxpayer funds in a more prudent manner. Council of State Governments Research Manager Andrew Barbee spoke at the CJAA winter conference about
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the Justice Reinvestment in Arkansas. He will be gathering data in Arkansas and periodically reporting to the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force. He recently alerted the task force and Arkansans to the fact that Arkansas is No. 1 in the nation in corrections growth. As of Tuesday, March 1, 2016, the number of state inmates
he ‘silo mentality’ is a failure to share informa- tion or work outside a narrow task. Resistance
in our county jails is approximately 1,000. It is imperative that the state place adequate funding for holding state inmates in these state budgets. All tools must be available, including appropriating adequate funds for holding more state inmates out of state; for the construction of additional and appropriate state beds; re-entry beds; and diversion of low level misdemeanor drug and alcohol abuse offenders and the mentally ill. Please contact your legislators and make sure they are engaged. We can’t afford to have our local jails full of state prisoners. The local taxpayers should be able to have the use of their local jail for its intended purpose: a local jail. The CJAA winter conference also included a presentation by DHS Director of Behavioral Services Charlie Green. He stated that regional crisis units and crisis services are a priority for DHS. Several regions are actively seeking a partnership with the state and their community for a regional crisis unit. A heroine epidemic has gripped the nation,
including Arkansas. AAC, the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association and the Community Mental Health Council have been advocating for crisis units and crisis intervention training for four years now. However, during that time the General Assembly has cut funding to our community mental health clinics by more than $8 million. The Arkansas Constitution, Article 19 §19 directs, “It shall
be the duty of the General Assembly to provide by law for the support of institutions for the … treatment of the insane.” Budget hearings are approaching and offer the exact time at which state officials convert their talk into action. Please engage your legislators. Ask them to assure that DHS’ priority for regional crisis units in Arkansas are realized. How much longer will public safety and public health priorities be pushed down the road? It’s undisputed that money spent on regional crisis units is money well-spent in any state — even more so in the state ranked 50th in mental health and first in corrections growth.
www.arcounties.org COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2016 15
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