Officials in Newton County hope a sales tax to build a new jail will be placed on the November ballot, as state officials warn that the current jail isn't up to standards.

The jail in Jasper was temporarily closed after the Arkansas Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee found in June that the 104-year-old jail is overcrowded and too dangerous to meet county and public safety needs.

The jail has room for up to 16 inmates, but often holds twice as many.

The inmates are back in Newton County, after authorities installed a surveillance video system that was donated by Wal-Mart.

Newton County Attorney Ron Kincade says officials are still working on a sales tax proposal. He didn't have an estimate on how much a new jail would cost, or how much a proposed sales tax would be.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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