Lonoke Police Department set to reopen jail after it was closed for four years

LONOKE, Ark. – After nearly four years, the City of Lonoke will reopen its jail, allowing its police force to make arrests and break the cycle of releasing people who would have stayed behind bars had the jail cells been open.

The jail was closed during COVID-19 due to code issues and a lack of employees; now, with a remodel, it will help as a tool to keep the community safe.

“We are in charge of maintaining the safety of all our citizens in our community, and we cannot do that without a jail,” Chief of Police Keith Graham said.

“We must have a jail so if we arrest somebody, they will have a place to go to; otherwise, they are just released, and they are back causing whatever issues that they had before,” Graham said.

According to Graham, if someone is arrested for a misdemeanor, they are taken to the police department and processed, and then they are released with a citation or court date.

If it was for a felony charge, they were transported to the Lonoke County jail, where they could be detained.

“They have taken advantage of us not having a jail, so they know they are basically going to get a ticket or released,” Graham said. “It is important to me, it is important to the city council and the mayor, and our citizens here in Lonoke to have a functioning jail.”

However, the jail is in disarray after sitting vacant and being used as extra storage. Graham said the police department was also outdated and in need of some repair.

“We had phase one, we are basically working from one part of the building forward,” Graham said.

Phase one included remodeling the administration offices, tearing up decades-old carpets, adding new flooring, and repainting the walls.

Phase two is for the jail, which begins on Thursday. They are removing a wall and transforming the space into a new processing room for the inmates.

Graham said all of this wouldn’t be possible without people in the city volunteering their time to help with the remodel.

Graham aims to create a professionally run jail that is safe for the prisoners and officers. He also ensures the jail will be transparent and help protect the community.

“We want to ultimately make sure they feel safe in their homes,” Graham said.

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