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Arkansas state senator, representative concerned about Franklin County prison plans

"I am asking you not to advance the Franklin County prison plan until a series of discussions with the people of Franklin County have happened first."

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ark. — Multiple elected officials have reacted to this week's surprise announcement from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders about a new prison coming to Franklin County. 

Arkansas Senator Bryan King, who represents part of Franklin County, is asking the state to stop planning a newly announced 3,000 bed prison in the county, saying he wasn't notified of the plan at all.

King claimed he didn't know about the state's purchase of land to build a prison until most of his constituents did on Thursday, Oct. 31.

On Oct. 31, Sanders and officials with the Board of Corrections announced the purchase of 815 acres near the city of Charleston in Franklin County.

"For Charleston, Franklin County, and the River Valley, [the prison] will offer hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs and millions of dollars in investment," Sanders said in her announcement.

However, there's been a local uproar about a lack of transparency from the Franklin County community.

Those concerns seemed to be echoed by Sen. King, who said on Friday that he sent a letter to the Board of Corrections asking to stop the advancement of the prison until meetings could be held in Franklin County.

"I was never notified of the possible Prison coming to Franklin County," King said in a post on X, with a screenshot attached of a letter addressed to the Board of Corrections.

King's letter to the Board of Corrections said the following: 

Dear Chairman Magness and the Arkansas Board of Corrections Members:

By this letter, I am asking you not to advance the Franklin County prison plan until a series of discussions with the people of Franklin County have happened first.

Please feel free to contact me about the matter.

Sincerely,

Bryan B. King

State Representative Mark Berry also said he was caught by surprise and is concerned about the plans.

Berry sent 5NEWS a statement claiming the recent decision to put a correctional institution in Franklin County was done in secrecy without the voices of legislators, county officials, and the resident of the county.

During a radio interview on 92.7 KDYN, the governor said "These people can either be in this prison where they are guarded, or they can be in your community."

Arkansas Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness said the move will address the longstanding prison capacity problem in the Natural State, saying that he is "grateful for [Sanders'] bold action to tackle Arkansas' prison bed shortage."

The Board of Corrections will have to vote to approve the prison site before construction on the project begins. Charleston Mayor Mike Baumgartner said the board will not vote on the proposed prison site at its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, which will be before the residents' town hall. 

Franklin County Judge Rickey Bowman said the town hall, which will take place on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Charleston High School Gymnasium, will allow concerned residents to voice their concerns. 

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