Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says a site in southern Franklin County has been chosen to build a new 3,000-bed prison.
Sanders said in a news release Thursday the state has purchased 815 acres in Charleston for the new correctional facility at a cost of roughly $3 million.
“This new facility will help end our failed system of catch-and-early-release, and protect our communities by keeping violent offenders off our streets," Sanders said. "For Charleston, Franklin County, and the River Valley, it will offer hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs and millions of dollars in investment.”
The Arkansas Times first reported news of the sale, with some local officials saying they were unaware of the plan.
"This parcel offers the infrastructure needed for a new prison, including cell reception, water lines, electricity, and a nearby fire department, and is also close to more than 100,000 workers who could staff the new facility," the news release states. "The property is large enough to offer privacy to both neighbors and inmates."
Prison bed space has long been a topic of debate in Arkansas state government, and has been a source of tension between the governor's office and the Board of Corrections. Sanders' appointee to lead the Department of Corrections, Joe Profiri, was fired by the board in January amid disputes over expanding prison bed space.
Sanders and other executive branch officials have said expanding prison bed space is a top priority, since the state must pay county jails to house inmates who aren't able to be transferred to over-capacity prisons. Prison officials have argued the state hasn't done enough to address a staffing shortage at state prisons while attempting to house more inmates in their facilities.
According to Sanders, the facility will ultimately employ up to 800 people at an average salary of around $46,000.. Approval of the site is pending a vote of the state Board of Corrections.
