Residents discuss Franklin County prison plan with state officials

CHARLESTON, Ark. — A town hall meeting Thursday evening in Charleston gave Franklin County residents the chance to voice their opinions on the announcement of a 3,000-bed prison planned to be built in the rural county.

On Thursday, Oct. 31, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the purchase of 815 acres near Charleston with plans to build the prison offering “hundreds of permanent, recession-proof jobs and millions of dollars in investment.”

The town hall began Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. and was initially scheduled for Charleston Middle School’s gymnasium, but was quickly relocated to the city’s high school gymnasium to account for space.

At the meeting, officials confirmed the Board of Corrections will on vote the proposed prison plan Friday, Nov. 8. 

Franklin County resident Julie Shelton worries about a possible hit to property values. “The land prices are going to drop, and most farmers don’t have a big old 401K because we work on the farm and our money is in land, equipment, and cattle. And that’s not going to be worth as much as it was before.”

Shelton says she was shocked when she heard the plans were already set in motion before anybody in the community was made aware.

Sanders first spoke publicly about the prison in a radio interview with 92.7 KDYN on Oct. 31. During the interview, Gov. Sanders said “These people can either be in this prison where they are guarded, or they can be in your community.”

Franklin County officials and residents alike have voiced concerns over not just the plan itself— but the way it was brought forth by the state. In a Facebook post the day of the announcement, Charleston Mayor Mike Baumgartner said he found out about the prison along with residents.

“Just like all of you, I was taken by surprise and I share your concerns regarding safety, and the impact this will have on our community,” Baumgartner said in the post.

The mayor said the only information he was given was the facility will employ 800 people with an average salary of $50,000 a year. 

“As your mayor, I’m committed to gathering the facts, and ensuring the most positive outcome possible for our town. I’ll be working closely with state and local officials to stay up to date and advocate for our needs and priorities. I assure you I am committed to pushing for measures that prioritize community safety and the preservation of the high quality of life we are accustomed to here in Charleston,” Baumgartner said.

Franklin County Judge Ricky Bowman expressed concerns that the property itself isn’t a good fit for the prison— he says he will always stand behind his community, and that his community doesn’t want the prison. “There’s several legitimate public concerns, and I just cannot support it.”

Arkansas Senator Bryan King, who represents northern Franklin County in the state legislature, also said he wasn’t told about the prison ahead of time. According to King, Sanders “failed to notify the citizens, local officials or myself that a prison would be coming to Franklin and went ahead and purchased the land.”

King said he sent a letter to the Arkansas Board of Corrections, who was set to vote in a meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, to advance the prison’s plan. King posted the letter on his social media pages, and asked for the board not to vote on taking the matter further until a series of meetings took place to discuss the situation.

He said he received a call soon after the letter was sent confirming the board wouldn’t discuss the prison in the meeting.