CHARLESTON, Ark. — Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the purchase of land in Franklin County to build a new state prison on Thursday, Oct. 31.
During a radio interview on 92.7 KDYN, the governor said the plan is to build the prison in Charleston, a city of over 2,500 according to U.S. Census data.
The land was purchased for $2.95 million on 815 acres. The property is "close to more than 100,000 workers who could staff the new facility," yet large enough to "offer privacy to both neighbors and inmates."
"For Charleston, Franklin County, and the River Valley, it will offer hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs and millions of dollars in investment," Sanders said.
Despite the sentiment, Franklin County residents have voiced their concerns across social media.
Sanders went on to say her goal with the new prison is to address the state's prison bed shortage and end Arkansas's "failed system of catch-and-early-release."
Arkansas Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace echoed the state's focus on increasing space in prisons. “The Department of Corrections’ mission is to provide safety and hope for Arkansans, but we won’t accomplish that effectively without adequate bed capacity,” Wallace said.
The release said that the state spends around $30 million every year due to housing inmates in county jails as a result of a 3,000-bed shortage in the state's prisons, a problem that wouldn't go away without a new prison.
In addition to the shortage having a negative effect on county governments, the release said that the prison bed shortage "denies inmates the opportunity to access evidence-based programs in state prisons that fight addiction, promote mental health, and reduce recidivism."
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."
“This facility demonstrates all our commitment to building a better prison system and a safer state," Magness said.
While the property cost just less than $3 million, the release said that the cost of the prison itself is not yet known.
"Though it is not yet possible to offer a full cost estimate for the new prison, this project will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time construction spending in Charleston, creating thousands of jobs. Once the prison is complete, it will employ nearly 800 individuals at an average salary of more than $46,600, based on estimates, and will enhance Charleston’s roads, utilities, and infrastructure," the release said.
The town hall, which took place on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Charleston High School Gymnasium, allowed concerned citizens to voice their concerns on the project.
The Arkansas Board of Corrections voted to approve the purchase of land for the new state prison on Nov. 8.
(Editor's Note: A previous version of this article referenced the proposed site of the prison to be on the "Old Breeden Farm," citing a comment made by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a radio interview. The Breeden family said they sold the property to an unrelated party in 2020 and aren't involved in this transaction.)
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