FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The state of Arkansas is one step closer to seeing a new prison in the River Valley, but many across the state are joining hands to say, “Not in our backyard.”
The land purchase for an 815-acre property near Charleston was announced on Oct. 31, along with plans to construct a 3000-bed prison. While Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the project will create additional safety throughout the state, the plan has been met with push-back.
“I promised the people of Arkansas we would address our state’s prison bed shortage and today, I’m announcing the first major investment in our state’s prison capacity since my dad was governor,” said Sanders. “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. For Charleston, Franklin County, and the River Valley, it will offer hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs and millions of dollars in investment,” Sanders said in an Oct. 31 statement.
Just one day before a town hall meeting in Charleston where locals voiced their concerns with the state, the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition and “DecARcerate” created a letter to send to the governor’s office and state legislators stating that they believe this is not the case.
“Arkansas is one of the top incarcerators in the nation. Our nation is the top incarcerator in the world. And if that really made us safe within a nation, a state, that would say ‘We’re the safest of any place,’ and that’s not the case,” said Sarah Moore, executive director of the AJRC.
According to the Arkansas Board of Corrections Inmate Cost Report, in 2023, the state spent more than $392 million of tax-payer money on prisons. Moore says despite this, many are still being left unsatisfied.
Just one day before a town hall meeting in Charleston where locals voiced their concerns with the state, the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition and “DecARcerate” created a letter to send to the governor’s office and state legislators stating that they believe this is not the case.
“Arkansas is one of the top incarcerators in the nation. Our nation is the top incarcerator in the world. And if that really made us safe within a nation, a state, that would say ‘We’re the safest of any place,’ and that’s not the case,” said Sarah Moore, executive director of the AJRC.
According to the Arkansas Board of Corrections Inmate Cost Report, in 2023, the state spent more than $392 million of tax-payer money on prisons. Moore says despite this, many are still being left unsatisfied.
“The legislators and the governor’s office have said, ‘We don’t like the outcome that we’re getting by locking up individuals.’ So why would we invest in more of the same? That’s the definition of insanity,” Moore said.
Now, less than two weeks after the announcement was made, AJRC, in combination with more than 15 other organizations, are sending a message of opposition to state officials.
“It’s a public letter, and yes, we’ll send it to the governor’s office and to the legislators. But really, it’s an open letter to Arkansas that we wholeheartedly oppose this. We’re opening it up to any organization to sign on to it as well,” Moore said.
The letter addresses things like the lack of resources in state prisons, while also stating the plan fails to address the root cause of crime.
"Governor Sanders stated that this new mega-prison would offer “millions of dollars in investment,” for Northwest Arkansas and offer “hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs.” She calls this expansion a solution for our ‘failed system,’ but this could not be further from reality. Prisons, particularly mega prisons, come with significant financial and social costs and fail to address the root causes of crime. Arkansas should invest in proven solutions that support rehabilitation, address mental health and addiction, reduce recidivism, and initiatives that improve public safety. Research has consistently shown that communities of color and lower-income populations are often the most affected by mass incarceration. Building more prison beds only continues this cycle of inequality and does nothing to alleviate the societal challenges that often contribute to crime."
“All prisons do is tear families apart. They really tear people’s humanity apart, and so, it seems odd to me that we think that people should be treated in that way, and we should rip these folks’ lives apart,” Moore said. “There is a path forward. It doesn’t have to include putting in place more jail and prison beds. We can’t afford it, and we can’t sustain it.”
KNWA/FOX24 reached out to the governor’s office for comment on the letter but has not yet received a response.
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