BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A new committee will look at expanding the jail in Benton County.

It’s called the Detention and Courts Facilities Subcommittee. The committee is led by Justice of the Peace Joel Edwards and will explore ways to expand the jail after a vote to raise taxes to pay for the expansion failed last year.

Judge Barry Moehring says the expansion will likely be much smaller than previously planned.

“It really becomes a financial issue now,” Moehring said. “We will have to consider a much-reduced facility than we thought we would build, and that is still going to cause issues for us. But, we have to make do with what we have.”

Moehring says the jail’s maximum capacity is about 650 inmates and is currently housing more than 700.