LITTLE ROCK (KTHV) — Arkansas is now housing nearly 3,000 more inmates than the prison system can properly manage.
Small relief came recently, after a couple hundred inmates transferred to prisons in Texarkana, Texas.
This is just a temporary fix, though, to a much bigger problem.
“We’re headed down an unattainable and unsustainable path and we have to make changes,” said Republican Senator Jeremy Hutchinson.
Tuesday, the Arkansas prison system reached its highest number of inmates – 18,971.
Hutchinson says although this number isn’t shutting down any prisons, 16,000 inmates would be a more manageable capacity.
To read the full story on our affiliate station’s website KTHV – Channel 11, click here.
