The director of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association wants to avoid a repeat of the early 1980s, when tough-talking Sheriff Tommy Robinson handcuffed convicts to prison fences to help clear overcrowded Pulaski County jails.

But Chuck Lange says he fears “someday, somehow, someway” a modern-day sheriff will pull a TR unless the state does something about the backlog of state prisoners in county jails.

“I’m not threatening at all … I’m just real worlding it, it could possibly happen again,” Lange told lawmakers during a recent hearing on the issue.

The Department of Correction pays the counties $28 a day for each prisoner housed in the local jails awaiting a bed in chronically overcrowded prison units, while it costs the state about $50 a day to house a prisoner in a state facility.

There are 1,377 state inmates being housed in county jails awaiting bedspace in state prison units, according to prison spokeswoman Dina Tyler.

Rep. Johnny Hoyt, D-Morrilton, says he’s considering filing legislation in the upcoming session to increase state reimbursements to county jails for housing state prisoners.

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