A state grant of $15,250 has enabled Prairie County District Court to modernize security at Judge Eric Kennedy’s courtroom in Hazen, replacing a layout that offered little separation between the judge and people appearing before the court.

The funding came through the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Committee on Security and Emergency Preparedness, which oversees security, training and grant programs for circuit and district courts across the state.

Prairie County Clerk and Circuit Clerk Gaylon Hale applied for the grant after determining that Kennedy’s courtroom needed greater protection.

“Before, it was just all in the middle. Anybody could walk up to where the judge was sitting,” Hale said. “The court didn’t have any security for the judge, the court reporter or anybody.”

The improvements included construction of a large bench and podium area extending across the back of the courtroom, creating a barrier and providing the judge with more secure access through a door behind the bench.

Kennedy told The Grand Prairie Herald that the previous arrangement left him exposed.

“Well, the setup has really changed the dynamic because it wasn’t very safe,” Kennedy said. “The witness box was right in front of me, and there was really no barrier beforehand to keep anyone from getting close to the bench.”

Beyond improving security, Kennedy said the renovation created more usable space in the courtroom.

“I just really like it. Now we’ve got a lot more room and can seat more people,” he said. “It’s just a lot nicer courtroom.”

Kennedy credited Hale with pursuing the funding needed to make the changes.

“I will say that I’m very appreciative of Ms. Hale going above and beyond on getting that grant for our courtroom in order to get it out of the 1950s and into an up-to-date courtroom,” Kennedy said.

Hale said obtaining the grant required extensive preparation. In addition to completing the application, she had to obtain an acknowledgment form signed by members of the local security committee, gather vendor quotes and provide an updated emergency response plan.

She also had to create an updated roster for the local Court Security and Emergency Preparedness Committee and provide information on the balance of grant funds Prairie County had previously received.

Funding is competitive and can vary from year to year depending on needs around the state and the amount of money available, Hale said.

She noted that the courtroom handles many cases involving motorists traveling through the area, including traffic offenses and misdemeanors. That can bring people from outside Prairie County into the courtroom in addition to local residents.

The Hazen project follows previous efforts by Hale to improve court security elsewhere in Prairie County. Two years ago, she secured grants to install walk-through metal detectors at the courthouses in Des Arc and DeValls Bluff.