The census at the Baxter County Detention Center grew by eight earlier this week following a compliance check at the Ozark Mountain Alcohol Residential Treatment (OMART) facility in Gassville now serving as a transitional housing center for parolees.
Dina Tyler, Deputy Director with Arkansas Community Correction, says parole officers from her agency performed an unannounced compliance check resulting in the loss of freedom for nine residents. The compliance check Tuesday resulted in eight residents being transferred to the local jail for seven days, with one being sent to the Omega Supervision Sanction Center at Malvern for up to 90 days.
Tyler says the infractions leading to incarceration for the parolees included removing a GPS unit, not maintaining required employment, failing a drug or alcohol test, and not attending group meetings.
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Tyler says there are reasons for the rules, and they will be enforced.
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OMART founded as a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center with a primary focus on substance abuse treatment is now exclusively a transitional housing center for parolees.
OMART has been partially engaged in transitional housing with Arkansas Community Correction for about 10 years, accommodating as many as 16 men in the agency’s back wing, with a mobile home used for female residents. Today, the facility is licensed to house about 50 medium level male offenders. Residents generally are allowed to stay up to 60 days and wear ankle monitors. In some cases, stays are extended an additional 30 days.
The Gassville facility operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with eight employees and a five-member board.
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