KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate
A criminal justice reform group filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday requesting a judge block Washington County from using pandemic relief money to expand jail facilities.
Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, which filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas alleges officials misallocated federal funds when the Washington County Quorum Court in December 2022 approved $18.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding for a jail expansion project.
Washington County voters in November 2022 rejected a proposed temporary sales tax increase to fund the jail expansion. County officials have said an expansion is necessary to address overcrowding.
Arkansas nonprofit sues Washington County over use of COVID funds for jail expansion
Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition Executive Director Sarah Moore (right) discusses a lawsuit against Washington County outside the nonprofit’s Fayetteville office on June 4, 2024 as co-founder Beth Coger and program director Gracie Fuhrman.