State Rep. Steve Unger, R-Springdale, has proposed building two state prisons in Northwest Arkansas as Arkansas examines how to add correctional capacity. He presented the idea Tuesday to a joint meeting of the Arkansas House and Senate Judiciary committees.
Unger suggested placing one facility near the Washington County jail and another near the Benton County jail, with about 500 beds at each location. He described that figure as a starting point. The proposal has not been approved, and the discussion remains at an early stage.
“I don't know that we need more prison beds, but we need prison beds where we have the workforce to staff them appropriately,” Unger told the committee.
Unger said Northwest Arkansas has roads, hospitals and a workforce that could help the state staff the facilities. He also pointed to volunteers who could assist incarcerated people with preparation for release, including GED classes and mentoring. His proposal calls for the prisons to be owned and operated by the state and staffed by state correctional officers, rather than creating a cost for the counties.
Questions about location and authority
The proposal followed a presentation by Marshall Clement, director of the Council of State Governments Justice Center. Clement said Arkansas has higher violent crime, recidivism and incarceration rates than most other states and is projecting a significant increase in its prison population while prison populations are declining in other states.
Unger suggested that money set aside for a proposed prison project in Franklin County could be used for the Northwest Arkansas facilities. The future of that project has been disputed. An internal Department of Corrections email in August described it as canceled, while Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' office said at the time that it had not been canceled.
Washington County Sheriff Jay Cantrell said he and Unger had held preliminary discussions about locating a housing unit on county property next to the existing jail. Cantrell said he supports adding state prison beds but that the decision about using county property belongs to local officials.
“As per Arkansas law, any agreement with the state to build a facility on county property would have to be routed through the county judge and the county's quorum court,” Cantrell said.
- Proposed locations: Property near the Benton and Washington county jails.
- Initial size: About 500 beds at each facility.
- Proposed operator: The state, with state correctional officers.
State Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, told 5NEWS that the concept could work if local officials support it. He said the state would also need input from corrections officials and the governor's administration before moving forward.
