Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery has announced all visitation for inmates of the detention center will cease Monday as a precautionary health measure.
Montgomery says the suspension covers visitation with jail inmates; visits from clergy; church services; and rehabilitation services such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous.
The sheriff also strongly encourages all attorneys to use video means available to them to communicate with inmate clients, if possible.
The changes to visitation come after a recommendation of the Association of Arkansas Counties Risk Management Team.
As of Friday afternoon, Montgomery says there have been no issues at the detention center related to coronavirus (COVID-19) and none at any detention facility in the state, that he is aware of. The decision is being made as a precaution to protect the safety of inmates and sheriff’s office employees.
Montgomery adds the sheriff’s administration offices will remain open during normal weekday business hours, and all law enforcement functions will continue as usual without interruption. He says the suspension will remain in effect until further notice and will be lifted as soon as it is advisable to do so.
He asks for the public’s understanding of the situation and regrets the inconvenience the suspension may cause.
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