Charleston area residents push back against planned prison; ready for town hall

Residents are hoping to get some answers and maybe encouraged the Arkansas Board of Corrections to rethink a prison near Charleston during a town hall meeting Thursday (Nov. 7) at the Charleston High School Gym.

Gov. Sarah Sanders, Arkansas Department of Corrections Secretary Lindsay Wallace, Arkansas Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness, and other state and local officials announced Oct. 31 that the state purchased land north of Charleston to build a 3,000-bed prison. Officials also said the property is large enough to offer privacy to neighbors and inmates.

But the news came as a shock to residents in the area who are worried about how a nearby prison would impact the small community. Many aren’t convinced that privacy and safety can be assured. A “Franklin County Connected” Facebook page opposing the prison was launched within hours of the announcement, and as of Wednesday had more than 1,500 followers.

“Of course we are worried about safety,” said Laura Little, who lives just south of the planned prison site with her husband and children.

Though residents have been told there will be excellent security at the facility, Little said there are still concerns.

“We chose to live here and raise our children here. We want them to be able to ride our horses on our property and not be worried. We want them to be able to go fish with their cousins. This is a safe community with low crime. We want it to stay that way,” Little said.

Other concerns from residents include what the increase in needs that the prison will have will do the town’s infrastructure.

“We have chicken farms that cannot get city water or even gas out to their farms, but they are going to be able to provide utilities to a prison?” Little asked.

She said though there is a fire department in Charleston, it is a volunteer fire department.

“If they aren’t available, it will take 20 minutes for emergency services,” Little said.

The state purchased the 815-acre property in Charleson for $2.95 million after a months-long search. According to the governor’s office, this parcel offers the infrastructure needed for a new prison, including cell phone reception, water lines, electricity, and a nearby fire department. The owners of the property were not disclosed by government officials.

The prison will be the first state prison built since the early 2000’s when the Ouachita River facility was built in Malvern. One of the reasons for the western Arkansas site selection was to avoid placing the prison in an area where additional prisons already exist, which could affect potential workforce options.

Once the prison is complete, it will employ nearly 800 individuals at an average salary of more than $46,600, based on estimates, and is expected to enhance Charleston’s roads, utilities, and infrastructure, according to the governor’s office.

A petition was started Oct. 31 opposing the prison sight selection, which as of Wednesday (Nov. 6)  2,291 people had signed. And many residents have spoken out publicly and contacted the governor’s office about the decision.

The governor’s office agreed to a town hall meeting regarding the subject, hosted by the Charleston School District. The main entrance doors to the high school gym will open at 5 p.m. Thursday for the town hall meeting regarding the proposed Franklin County prison. Guests are asked to enter through the main front gym entrance of Charleston High School, what residents call the cafeteria entrance, said a spokesperson with Charleston City Hall.

the gym reaches capacity, there will be additional seating in the cafeteria, where the event will be live streamed, the school district posted on social media. Signage will not be allowed inside the gymnasium due to the large number of people expected.

Board of Corrections (BOC) members planning to attend are Board Chair Benny Magness, Lona McCastlain, Brandon Tollett, and Lee Watson, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. There are seven members on the state board. The department did not respond to questions about when the BOC might vote on the planned prison facility.

Little said residents are hoping to clearly express that the majority of the community does not want the prison there.

“Our hopes are that we will at least be heard. Hopefully, it will make a difference when the board does vote,” Little said.