Despite objections, the board approves the site in Arkansas for the planned prison for 3,000 inmates

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Board of Corrections on Friday approved an 815-acre site for a planned prison for 3,000 inmates, despite objections from residents and local officials that they were blindsided by the state’s purchase of the land.

The board voted to accept land the state bought for nearly $3 million to build a prison that Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and corrections officials say is needed to clear the backlog of state inmates in county jails.

Officials have not said how much the prison will cost or provided a timeline for its construction. Sanders, a Republican, called for 3,000 new prison beds and lawmakers set aside $330 million for that last year. In addition, an additional $75 million is available for the project, which was originally intended for the expansion of a prison unit.

“This vote today triggers a lot of research and thought processes,” chairman Benny Magness said at the meeting, which was held via Zoom with almost 300 people. “There’s probably a small chance, but it’s a possibility that this site won’t work. But we’re at the point where we have to accept the site where we can go ahead and check some of that information.

The state announced last week that it had purchased the land in Charleston, about 105 miles northwest of Little Rock. The purchase sparked complaints from area residents and officials, who said they were not aware of the decision until the day of the announcement or shortly before.

“There should have been a formal public hearing before the state would donate millions of dollars to a project in Franklin County,” Rosemary Underwood, an area resident, said at a packed town hall Thursday evening.

Former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri, a senior adviser to Sanders, said at the town hall Thursday that the property was optioned for 90 days before the state closed on the purchase.

Sanders on Friday thanked the board for approving the jail site and said she wanted to engage with the community during the construction process.

“We’ve let this slide for far too long – it’s time to make the first investment in our prison system in 20 years and finally address our broken system of arresting and paroleing violent offenders,” Sanders said in a statement. a speech. statement.

One board member, Lee Watson, abstained from voting on the measure, saying he thought more public discussion about the purchase and location was needed.

“Given the magnitude of the decision before us, I do not feel I have had sufficient time to make a decision,” Watson said.