LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In a meeting that lasted over three hours, sheriffs, prosecutors, advocates, and members of the Department of Corrections, among others, spoke and fielded questions from state senators and House representatives—the topic: whether the state has a prison bed space issue and how to address it.
It’s been a hot-button topic for some time, dating back to 2024 when Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders began spearheading a proposed prison project in Franklin County.
Letter from Arkansas senator to governor calls for immediate sale of land for planned Franklin County prison
The state has been trying to find answers to prison overcrowding, and Senator Brian King, who represents a portion of Franklin, believes they need to take action, not just talk about things.
“If you don’t know by this time that we need new prison beds, then I don’t know…you don’t need to be here,” King said…