The Arkansas Board of Corrections is asking for proposals from communities interested in hosting a new, 1,000-bed state prison.
The board on Friday voted to accept requests for the next 90 days in hopes of firming up a plan before next January's legislative session. Prison officials told lawmakers last week that it will cost up to $100 million to build the new facility.
The board's prison design committee is recommending a maximum-security facility, which will be more expensive to build than a lower-security unit. The committee is recommending the new prison house the most difficult inmates in the state, with extra space set aside for 200 single-cell isolation units.
The board says it's looking for a site with at least 400 acres, along with proximity to an airport and higher-educational institutions.
