JP COGER'S WASHINGTON COUNTY UPDATE 7/20/25

Beth Coger
Jul 20
9 min read

📅 Meetings This Week

No county meetings are posted for this week on the Washington County website as of July 18, 2025.The next scheduled meeting is:

Coming Up -- County Services Committee📍 Washington County Courthouse🕕 Monday, August 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Help Restock the Little Free Closet at the Washington County Jail

This is a photo of the Little Free Closet at the Washington County Detention Center, a project I help maintain in partnership with the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition (AJRC). The closet provides free clothing to anyone in need—especially individuals being released from jail who often have nothing more than the clothes they were arrested in.

We are currently in urgent need of men’s clothing, including:

Outerwear (jackets, hoodies)
Pants and jeans
Shirts and T-shirts
Shoes and socks

Where to Donate:🧥 West Lobby of the Washington County Detention Center📍 1155 W. Clydesdale Dr., Fayetteville📦 Or drop off at the AJRC Office, 205 N. College Avenue, Fayetteville🕙 Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Every donation helps someone leave incarceration with dignity and a fresh start. Thank you for supporting this community resource!

At last Thursday’s Quorum Court meeting, I, an elected Justice of the Peace, was not "allowed" to speak and explain my position and why I opposed an agenda item. If you follow any of the court proceedings, you know that happens regularly. While every other JP who wished to speak was allowed to do so without interruption, I was repeatedly silenced.

Watch the meeting here and come to your own conclusions. The main parts are 2:22:51 to 2:25:52 and 2:29:33 to 2:30:00 in the video. https://www.youtube.com/live/FQDVcGb9s38?si=EvUg4l9Ub5TEcGiA Robert's Rules of Order were violated numerous times during this meeting.

County Judge Patrick Deakins, who was chairing the meeting, and another JP worked in tandem to silence me. I was interrupted four times with "Point of Order" objections from the same JP and the Judge ruled in the JP's favor each time. They claimed my comments were “not germane to the issue,” despite the fact that I had barely begun to speak and had not yet made my points. To get to my points, I wanted and I was entitled to give background.

By cutting me off, they effectively silenced the voice of my constituents, and I cannot allow that to continue. This is not just a procedural matter — it’s a matter of fairness, transparency, and democratic representation.

The Judge refused to recognize me during deliberations after the point of order calls and told me that I should “respect my colleagues,” while showing little regard for the decorum and equity expected in meetings of this nature. As a result, I was forced to wait until the public comment period to speak — a space intended for residents, not elected officials conducting official business.

Let me be clear: I will not remain silent about this continued pattern of disrespect and harassment and I cannot allow it to continue. I was elected to represent my district. My voice — and by extension, the voice of my constituents — will not be sidelined. I am beginning by asking the community to pay closer attention. Sunshine and transparency - always a good start.

This has gone on for too long.

🧭 Why I Oppose the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) Expansion

The decisions we are making in Washington County now with regard to "justice reform" are hurting people. We have around 450+ people sitting in our jail pretrial. They are languishing there because they do not have the money to buy their freedom. That is why I am speaking out. What does that have to do with CRI? Read below.

Washington County is applying for a $1.5M grant from the Arkansas Community Assistance Grant Program. Read here for more information. Judge Deakins wants to use this money to renovate the kitchen and laundry area in what is the former NWA Community Correctional Center (CCC), a facility that was once home to a nationally recognized women’s Regional Punishment Facility (RPF). He wants to then expand the CRI to house up to 70 women. He has said that the plan is to use the renovated kitchen and laundry area to serve both the men's unit (currently housed in the former Crisis Stabilization Unit building) and the women's unit.

❓ What is the CRI? The Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) is a Washington County program housed in the former Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) building, which unfortunately closed in 2024. The CRI is currently funded by a $455,000 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program grant (absolutely no guarantee that grant will be extended), along with an additional $575,000 appropriated by the Washington County Quorum Court.

The program is supposed to provide substance abuse treatment and other supportive services to individuals incarcerated in the Washington County Detention Center. It can house up to 30 men, selected from the general jail population based on specific eligibility criteria.

At an informational meeting held earlier this year inside the CSU facility, County Judge Patrick Deakins and Nick Robbins, Executive Director of Returning Home (the nonprofit operating the program), presented the CRI as a pilot program. I supported the program at that time under very specific conditions:

The CSU building was vacant and otherwise unused;
The RSAT grant funding was already secured (it was a done deal before the quorum court knew about it - at least publicly);
We were told at that meeting that the county's match would be approximately $150,000; and
The program was described as a test run, with a clear commitment to evaluate its effectiveness using data, statistics, and measurable outcomes in order to make informed decisions as to future plans.

However, just a few weeks after that meeting, Judge Deakins and Mr. Robbins returned to the Quorum Court to request — and received — $575,000 in county funds to support the program. While a portion of that appropriation covered startup expenses, a significant share was also designated to fund operations through the final quarter of this year.

We have the Criminal Justice Assessment Study from 2020 which gives us a blueprint of what we should do. We could have a real pretrial services program at half the cost of the CRI and it would help many more people.

⏳ Real Evaluation Takes Time — Not Weeks

You cannot measure the success of a program like this in a few weeks. Behavioral change and long-term outcomes take time — months, even years — to evaluate.

Things we don't know, but we should before moving forward:

Recidivism Rate▸ Percentage of participants rearrested, reconvicted, or reincarcerated within 6–12 months and beyond▸ Compare to jail population and similar programs
Housing Stability▸ How many participants are stably housed upon release and 3–6 months after?
Employment Outcomes▸ Did participants obtain jobs after release?▸ Are they still employed after 3–6 months?
Treatment Retention and Completion▸ How many participants completed the program?▸ How many continued with outpatient or community-based treatment after release?
Relapse Rate▸ How many returned to substance use?▸ Is there follow-up care or support to help prevent relapse?
Program Completion Rate▸ How many participants start vs. how many finish?▸ If people drop out, why?
Participant Demographics▸ Are those who would benefit most being selected?▸ Are participants representative of the jail population?
Wait Times and Bed Utilization▸ Are the 30 beds consistently full, or sitting empty?▸ Are people waiting too long to enter the program?
Staffing Stability and Capacity▸ Are there enough trained staff to run the program effectively?▸ Are jail staff being pulled away from critical duties?
Program Fidelity▸ Is the curriculum being delivered as designed?▸ Are evidence-based practices being followed (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed care)?
Participant Feedback▸ Are people reporting that the program is helping them?▸ Are there complaints or concerns about treatment, safety, or support?
Cost per Participant▸ Divide total cost by number of participants▸ Compare to alternatives: pretrial services, drug court, expanded veterans court.
Cost per Successful Outcome▸ How much did it cost to successfully rehabilitate one person?▸ Include recidivism reduction, job placement, housing, etc.
Grant Dependency and Sustainability▸ What happens if the RSAT grant is not renewed?▸ Will the county be expected to fully fund the program?
Alternative Uses of Funding or Facility▸ Have we compared CRI to other eligible uses of the former CCC building or these funds (e.g., mental health services, emergency shelter, transitional housing, community centers)?
Impact on Jail Population▸ Has CRI reduced overall jail numbers or time served?▸ Has it eased overcrowding?
Are Those "Empty" Beds Being Rented to ICE ▸ Washington County has a contract with the US Marshall, ICE, and others where we rent jail beds to the federal government.
Impact on Jail Staffing and Budget▸ Has the program caused staffing gaps in other parts of the jail?▸ Are we paying overtime or facing burnout to cover CRI shifts?
Coordination with Courts, Public Defenders, and Reentry Services▸ Is CRI integrated smoothly into the justice system?▸ Are referrals timely and based on transparent criteria?
Are participants staying out of jail and improving their lives?
Is the program being run responsibly, with proper oversight?
Is it cost-effective compared to alternatives?
Is it achieving what it promised — or are we expanding before it’s been proven?

These are the metrics that matter. And they require time and a meaningful sample size to assess. One or two success stories don’t justify long-term investments — we need comprehensive, reliable data.

In short, we don't know what we don't know.

💸 What About the Costs?

So far, we’ve committed:

~$1+ million/year for the men’s CRI
- $455K from RSAT grant (not guaranteed in future years)
- $575K from Washington County General Reserves
Projected $1 million/year for 70 women’s beds - Per Judge Deakins
- Yet we're already spending $1+ million year for just 30 men’s beds
- Simple math suggests 70 beds would cost significantly more — not less

As of June 30, 2025, the CRI budget has:

$443,345 spent or encumbered
$487,111 remaining
Two full quarters still to go — we don’t even know if the remaining budget will be enough.
This $1.5M Community Grant is only for renovations to the building. We have no solid plans for how the program for the women will be financed. The county is "looking into grants..." That is not good financial strategy to plan for and spend major money on a project that we may not even be able to fund.

❓ Best Use of the Building? We Don’t Know

We’ve never had a public discussion about alternative uses for the old jail facility. We don’t have evidence that expanding CRI is the best use of the space.

Other eligible projects under the grant guidelines include:

Renovations or new construction for healthcare, childcare, community centers, libraries, museums, and more
Emergency shelters, workforce training programs, and public facilities

We have not explored these options. We have not invited public input? We have not weighed potential community impact.

🧾 Quorum Court Meeting Highlights – July 17, 2025

📺 Watch the Full Meeting Here

🚨 Sheriff’s Office Investigation — Starts @ 39:10

Judge Deakins addressed a 2024 investigation into “misuse of county property and theft of county funds” at the Sheriff's Office.

County-owned equipment was allegedly used on private property.
A special prosecutor found the conduct didn’t rise to criminal charges.
Reports are reportedly filed with the Circuit Clerk, but I could not locate them online before publishing this update.

🏥 Eaglecrest Ordinance — Second Reading @ 43:15

The ordinance returns for its final reading on August 21, 2025.
I drafted this amendment to the zoning ordinance that relates to the Eaglecrest situation. Please contact me if you have suggestions or edits.

🗺️ New Zoning Ordinance — Discussion @ 44:28

The ordinance was read for a second time.
A motion to proceed to a final reading failed, so expect it back August 21, 2025.

🚫 Genesis RV Park CUP Appeal — Begins @ 46:51

Citizens spoke powerfully and with evidence against the CUP.
I was impressed by their preparation and community advocacy.
They came with receipts!
The CUP was denied by a 12–1 vote (JPs Leming and Highers were absent).
Shows you can "fight city hall."

⚖️ Budget Increase for County Attorney — Discussion @ 2:14:19

I pulled this item from the consent agenda to ask about salary grades and compare costs with Benton County.
Washington County: $331,113 budgeted in 2025 for two full-time attorneys (that is just salaries, FICA, etc.)
Benton County: $150,000 total 2025 budget for contracted legal services.
I was the only "No" vote.

🚧 Resolution to Apply for $1.5 Million CRI Renovation Grant — Begins @ 2:18:07

I opposed this resolutions for multiple reasons I have covered in detail above.

🛑 The resolution to apply for the grant passed. I voted No. JP Rivera Lopez abstained. JPs Leming and Highers were absent. JPs Bruns, Wilson, Massingill, Lyons, Ecke, Dean, Washington, Dennis, Rios Stafford, Ricker and Pond voted yes.

🚔 Detention Center Population (as of July 18, 2025)

Total Detainees: 696

80 listed their address as “homeless” or Seven Hills Shelter
41 are 309 Trustees
114 are ADC Commitments (sentenced, waiting on state beds)
198 held on Failure to Appear charges
206 held for other jurisdictions

🔗 Detailed Detainee Charge Report🔗 Calls for Service Board🔗 Detainee Search Tool

📑 County Bid Postings (as of July 18, 2025)

🆕 Bid 2025-08 — Due August 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Bid for 13 road graders and trade-in values for 11 used graders.

🔗 View All County Bids and RFQs

💼 County Job Openings (as of July 18, 2025)

🆕 Notable New Postings:

Law Clerk (County Attorney’s Office) — I voted against funding this position.
Victim Assistance Coordinator (Prosecutor’s Office)

Job Title	Type	Salary
Adult Detention Officer	Full Time	$21.91/hr
Election Poll Worker	Temporary	$14/hr
Juvenile Detention Officer	Full Time	$21.25–$23.42/hr
Law Clerk	Part Time	$17/hr
Peer Recovery Specialist	Full Time	$18/hr
Planning Technician	Full Time	$21.25–$22.31/hr
Road Mechanic III	Full Time	$29.92–$32.98/hr
Equipment Operator (EQ1–EQ4)	Full Time	$16.90–$31.10/hr
Victim Assistance Coordinator	Full Time	$21.91–$24.14/hr