Captain Chris Watkins Jail Administrator chris.watkins@fcso.ar.gov

Detention Centers

Unit One - Maximum Security
801 Locust St
501-450-4995

Unit Two/Booking
500 S German Ln
501-328-4160
Unit2@fcso.ar.gov

Detention

By Arkansas Statue 12-41-502, the county sheriff of each county in this state shall have the custody, rule, and charge of the jail within his/her county and all prisoners committed in his/her county. The sheriff has custody of accused felons and some misdemeanors apprehended in the county and is charged with feeding and keeping these accused persons. A log of all prisoners kept in the county jail and those transferred is maintained by the sheriff, as well as a bail bond book.

• The Faulkner County Detention Center Unit 1 (Maximum Security) has a facility capacity of 118 adult male detainees.
• The Faulkner County Juvenile Detention Center has a total capacity of 16 detainees.
• The Faulkner County Detention Center Unit 2 has a capacity of 218 males and 88 females.

 

BOND - What is bond and how is bond posted?

The terms "bond" and "bail" are often used interchangeably although there are technical differences.

The purpose of requiring the posting of a bond is to ensure that an arrested person will appear in court to answer his or her charges after release from custody.

Generally speaking, judges determine the amount of bond, while the sheriff determines the sufficiency of the bond, Arkansas Code §16-84-105 and §16-84-110.

Arkansas Code §16-81-109. Bail: "When any sheriff or other law enforcement officer makes an arrest, he or she is authorized to take and to approve bail in the manner provided by law wherever he or she makes the arrest."

Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 8 and Rule 9: These rules govern first appearances in court and the setting of bond/bail if the arrested person is still in custody.

Type of Arrest: If a person is arrested with a warrant, the warrant will generally have the bond amount listed. If a person is arrested without a warrant, bond may be set in the manner prescribed above.

Type of Bond: There are several forms of bond that are authorized by law, most commonly:

1. Cash: An arrested person, or someone acting on his behalf, may post the entire bond amount in cash, which will be held by the sheriff or the court pending disposition of the criminal case.
2. Surety: An arrested person may secure his release through the utilization of a professional licensed bail bonding company. This is known as a "surety bond." The bonding company will charge the arrested person certain "fees" for the service of posting a surety bond to secure the release from custody. Those fees are non-refundable and are not applied to any fines, costs, or restitution that may later be ordered by the court.
   
   Note: A law enforcement officer is prohibited from recommending the services or any particular bonding company or bondsman.

1. Own Recognizance: A court will sometimes authorize a person in custody to be released on his "own recognizance," which is nothing more than a promise to re-appear at a later date for further judicial proceedings. These are rarely authorized for other than very minor offenses.
2. Rule 5.2 Pre-Trial Release: The ranking person on duty at the jail or detention center may authorize the release of a person from custody by utilizing a citation to appear as authorized by Rule 5.2 of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure. With respect to misdemeanor offenses, this authorization falls exclusively within the discretion of the Office of Sheriff. With respect to felony offenses, a recommendation from the Prosecuting Attorney is needed in order for a Rule 5.2 release to occur.
   Note: Rule 5.2 releases are rarely authorized by the Sheriff's Office - generally only in cases of severe overcrowding or emergency situations. This release option is available only prior to an appearance before a judge, after which the Sheriff's Office must follow the orders of the court.

Standard conditions of pre-trial release or "conditions of bond" may apply in all instances, and failure to abide by those terms and conditions may result in the bond being revoked and the person being returned to custody.

 

 

BOOKING
The primary functions of this unit consists of the following:

• Intake: Initiates a booking computer record for individuals brought to Unit Two of the FCDC - either under arrest or committed by a court in Faulkner County.
• Identification: Takes fingerprints and photo images of all detainees booked at Unit Two of the FCDC; keeps and maintains records of the same.
• Classification: Conducts assessment and Suicide Prevention Screening Form, and recommends medical and mental health referrals as needed. When necessary, initiates appropriate precautions to safeguard detainees. Provides and obtains entrance information from each detainee as well as answering any questions they may have.
• Inmate Supervision: Introduces and explains the concept of direct supervision to all detainees. Observes detainees as they are being processed through booking and tracks their progress.
• Property: Responsible for securing, storing, and tracking
  property taken from detainees at the time of booking.
• Discharge: Conducts the process of discharging detainees out of the FCDC, which includes returning all property and mailing back the money belonging to them. Collects all property issued to the detainee during their incarceration.

Note: Individuals who come in with fully white clothing, such as sock, t-shirts, boxers, underwear, bras with out wiring, etc., that do not have logos, pictures, or any type of design on them may keep the clothing while incarcerated. If an individual does not have any of this clothing, items can be purchased through commissary only. Families and friends who bring in white clothing into the facility will be turned away.

When contacting the Booking department, the following information can be provided to the general public:

• Name of detainee
• Charge(s)
• Bond amount
• Arresting agency
• Court date
• Towing company (if vehicle was towed)

For additional legal/court information, go to: caseinfo.arcourts.gov.

PROPERTY RELEASE FORMS will be available to detainees upon request. Once completed, the named individual from outside the facility may call to make an appointment to pick up the released items during the designated day and times. An appointment shall be made prior to the morning of a property release day. If an appointment is made on a property release day, the individual from the outside shall pick up on the next available property release day. Pick up for items are on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. All property must be picked up at Unit Two for all detainees who are held at the FCDC.

Note: All property can be released with the exception of clothing. Clothing cannot be released until the detainee is sentenced as the detainee may need their clothing if released from the detention center. Once allowable, the clothing can be released after a Property Release Form is completed and an appointment is made with the Receptionist (see instructions in paragraph above).

HOUSING
The Housing section provides a secure, humane living area for incarcerated persons. This section is responsible for supervising detainee activity, orienting detainees to the operation of a Direct Supervision Facility, and managing detainees in general population, medical, mental, health concerns.

LIVE SCAN FINGERPRINTING
Fingerprints can be taken for the general public via the Live Scan system on Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $10.00.

MEDICAL
The Faulkner County Detention Center has a contracted physician and two LPNs. Detainees are seen by a physician who approves all treatment and medications. Detainees may see a physician at his/her request and cost at the physician's next scheduled visit.

COMMISSARY
Detainees with money in their account may purchase a variety of items (candy, toiletries, etc.) from commissary. There are limits on what may be purchased by the detainee.

MAIL
Detainees are allowed to receive mail. They can receive legal and personal mail. Correspondence must list the detainee's first and last name as well as the correct address. 

There are two (2) locations where mail can be sent:

1. LEGAL MAIL
   801 Locust St
   Conway, AR 72034 
2. ALL OTHER MAIL
   500 Amity Rd Ste 5B
   PMB 53
   Conway, AR 72032

PHONE CALLS
Phones are available from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. in "day-rooms." All calls are to be made collect or from a pre-approved account. ALL calls are recorded and subject to monitoring.

PROOF OF INCARCERATION
A proof of incarceration is a piece of paper that indicates the days and time that a detainee came in and left our facility. Proof of incarcerations documents are $2 - cash only. The documents can only be purchased at Unit One (address above).

VIDEO VISITATION
Unit Two of the FCDC has updated to video visitation only - with the exception of attorney conferences and other visits that are approved by the Jail Administrator. Video Visitation can only be made by a detainee once they have been released from the Booking department and placed in general population.

• Participation in video visitation is a privilege and not a right. Both visitor and detainee are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate fashion at all times during a video visit.
• Faulkner County reserves the right to deny, cancel, or terminate a video visit prior to or during a video session base upon visitor and/or detainee conduct.
• Faulkner County also reserves the right to restrict visitor(s) from participating in any or all future use of the video system.
• Any nudity, tight-fitting/provocative clothing is strictly prohibited and shall result in having visitation privileges suspended indefinitely. Recordings and photographs of any kind are not allowed during visitation. Any of these actions may result in visitation privileges being suspended indefinitely.
• All use of the video visit system (friends, family, and detainee) shall be recorded and subject to monitoring by certain Faulkner County Sheriff's Office employees. Use of the video visitation system constitutes consent to any and all recordings and monitoring.

To participate in phone calls, video visits, and commissary, the following websites may be use:

• JailATM.com - This site is to register for electronic messaging services and video calls.
• Accesscorrections.com - This site is for adding funds to commissary accounts for detainees.
• Correct Solutions - This site is for accessing phone calls.

Funds can be added to the FCDC detainee accounts in the lobby at the Unit One facility located at 801 Locust Street or at Unit Two located at 500 S. German Lane.

READING MATERIAL
Effective immediately, FCDC will no longer accept any reading materials purchased outside the facility. Amazon book orders will not be allowed. The only exception is religious materials.

Detainees who ordered books prior to December 3, 2023, will be allowed to receive their reading materials if they are acceptable. 

Books that are currently in the possession of detainees will stay in their possession. 

The following is a list of acceptable religious reading materials; they must be paperback and 8.7" x 5.7" x 1.1"  or smaller.

• Bible - Christianity
• Qur'an - Islam
• Gita - Hinduism
• Torah - Judaism
• Guru Granth Sahib - Sikhism
• Tripitaka - Buddhism

If a detainee's religion is different than those listed, a request will be sent to the Captain/First Lieutenant for approval. 

 

Mission Statement of the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office Detention Center

It is the mission of the Faulkner County Detention Center (FCDC) to maximize community safety by providing a safe, humane, and secure detention facility. The detainees who are in the care and custody of the FCDC will be treated with dignity and respect.

Staff members constantly receive training to provide more professional assistance for detainees who have been remanded by a duly elected Faulkner County Judge. At no point, is it the duty or responsibility of the Detention Center Staff to pass judgment on the detainees. Our duty and responsibility is ensure each detainee is provided the nourishment set by the state laws, ensure detainees have a safe place to sleep, clean uniforms, medical care if needed, and ensure each detainee appears before the court.

Detention Center Staff will abide by the Fourth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution of the United States.

• The 4th Amendment establishes reasonableness for searches and seizures.
• The 6th Amendment establishes the right to a speedy trial.  
• The 8th Amendment states and establishes the protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
• And finally, the 14th Amendment, which protects against the deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process.

In closing, the FCDC staff has an obligation to God, Sheriff Tim Ryals, and the Citizens of Faulkner County. Our duty to God inculcates us to perform our duties with empathy and apathy. Our duty to Sheriff Tim Ryals is to ensure we execute our duties per policy and with professionalism, respect, and honor. And to The Citizens of Faulkner County, we have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the tax dollars are managed and allocated in the most prudent manner. We are to ensure the community is protected against those individuals who are a threat to public safety, and to ensure we treat each detainee in our care and custody with the respect and understanding that many detainees will return to our community. These are our neighbors. In order to provide a real community service, we must assist and aide our fellow citizens with an opportunity to redeem themselves and their standing within our community. These are our family members, neighbors, and members of one of the best counties in Arkansas. We must treat each other in a manner that is conducive with the goal of building a better Faulkner County.