Arkansas Board of Corrections member Lee Watson, right, answers questions from the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee on Friday, June 6, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)
A member of the Arkansas Board of Corrections challenged legislators about the need for a new 3,000-bed prison and offered less expensive alternatives on Monday.
The corrections board “is acutely aware” of the need for a new facility, Lee Watson wrote in an email, but has never asked for a 3,000-bed prison, and has never been told that such a large facility is necessary nor been provided with any evidence that it is needed…