Garland County Sheriff's Department

Opened in 2015, the Garland County Detention Center was a $42 million project paid for by the county's three-eighths-cent sales tax, and it is the largest building Garland County operates. The Garland County Sheriff's Department runs it under a direct supervision philosophy, an approach the department says county taxpayers chose, in which detention staff work continuously inside the housing units, actively managing inmate behavior and catching problems early instead of watching from behind glass. The complex includes eight inmate housing units, an alternative sentencing unit, health services, inmate programs, its own courtroom, food service, booking and video visitation, and families can visit either on-site or remotely. Outside the jail, the department's community programs in the Hot Springs area are built around neighborhood partnerships. Operation Medicine Cabinet gives residents a way to dispose of unwanted medications, Project Lifesaver helps locate people who are prone to wandering, and the department supports neighborhood watch groups that bring residents together to reclaim their streets and reduce crime. It also points residents to the Arkansas Crime Information Center's sex offender registry search and publishes guidance on what to do if a stranger comes to the door.