Proposed legislation seeks to thwart Arkansas prison project
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Downtown Charleston. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios
State Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) filed six bills recently in an effort to curb what he calls Arkansas' "three-headed monster" — high incarceration rates, high crime rates and prison overcrowding.
Why it matters: Taken together, the bills could help eliminate the need for a controversial proposed 3,000-bed prison near Charleston.
- Part of Franklin County where the prison is slated for construction is in King's district.
State of play: The proposed legislation would earmark $100 million of the state's sales and use taxes for the Arkansas State Police to dedicate resources on crime prevention and reduction, and help the Division of Community Correction with probation, parole and post-release services.
- Other parts of the package focus on the future funding of these efforts, including the use of some money the state collects on medical marijuana, casino gaming and in some settlements the Arkansas Attorney General receives from litigation.
Another bill would allow jails in neighboring counties to enter into partnership agreements to build or expand facilities to house inmates as they await transfer to state prisons.
Context: Arkansas prisons frequently have more inmates than capacity. Data analyzed by Axios shows roughly 2,000 people each month remain in county jails while awaiting a bed in a prison.
What they're saying: King's goal with the package is to have fewer people going to jail, less recidivism and safer streets. "But to do that, it's going to take money," he said.
The other side: In a recent television interview, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she wouldn't sign King's bills if they were approved by lawmakers.
- "No, because there's very few county officials that tell you that is a workable, viable solution. In fact, almost overwhelmingly there has been pushback against that idea from every county across the state," she said.
The big picture: Caught off guard by a sudden announcement to build the prison there, many Franklin County residents are enraged by the state's seeming absence of transparency on the project.
- They cite a lack of infrastructure and workforce, a challenging topography and fears of battered property values as reasons against its construction there.
- The new prison will likely cost far more than the $470 million estimate from two years ago. Members of the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition (FCRVC), a group of residents fighting the project, said it could be as high as $1.5 billion, based on projects in other states.
- "I think Senator King's bills are healthy proposals … and [the coalition thinks] there needs to be discussion on this. We believe that the legislature has been bypassed up until this point, and that this is something that there needs to be discussion on and not just take it or leave it," said Fort Smith lawyer Joey McCutchen, who represents the FCRVC.
What we're watching: King's bills will have to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee before they can advance to the Senate floor.
- No legislation related to the prison or potential funding has been filed during the general assembly.
- A spokesperson for Sanders did not respond to a question about timing of any legislation.