Information continues to trickle out relating to plans that have been under discussion for over three years, to build a private prison that could be utilized as a jail by Bradley and Drew Counties. Just to remind our readers, the original plan was to have five southeast Arkansas counties go together and form a regional jail commission. A private company from Louisiana was to construct a prison to house several hundred state inmates and then add some beds to be rented by the counties. The company was to finance, own and operate the facility. The quorum courts of Bradley and Drew Counties adopted ordinances creating the commission. No reason was given why the counties had to form a commission to individually rent bed space. That plan was scrapped.
Next the counties were told the private company would finance, own and operate the prison and would contract with the state for housing state inmates and would then contract with the counties for a set number of beds for each county. The county contracts would be renewable on an annual basis.
Now, another plan has been brought up that calls for the county where the prison is built to contract with the private company for housing of the state inmates as well the local jail inmates. The State of Arkansas would then contract with the county to house the several hundred state prisoners. When a local county official ( not from Bradley County ) was asked why the change, he stated there was no change and it is being done so the state does not have to take proposals for a contract with the private company. This is a major alteration from the previous two plans.
In an article written by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and published September 29th, 2018, the project was discussed by members of the Legislative sub-committee on Charitable Penal and Correctional Institutions. It appears most of the legislators were unaware of the proposal.
In the article it stated that Act 1206 was passed allowing counties to contract with the state for up to twenty years to house prisoners. In the same article, Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness stated that the department of corrections is not contracting with the private company but with the counties. The matter was discussed at the Drew County Quorum Court Meeting recently and was covered by ''Monticellolive."
There are people in Bradley County that desire the prison to be built locally for the jobs and taxes it should generate. There are others that believe it creates a bad image to be a prison community and that efforts should be aimed at bringing in for- profit industry and business, instead of a prison. There are some members of the legislature that have concerns about privatization of penal institutions. Arkansas currently houses some 16,000 state inmates.
At this time the public is not sure what type plan is being proposed and we continue to wait on
action by the State of Arkansas or further action by Bradley and Drew counties.
Next the counties were told the private company would finance, own and operate the prison and would contract with the state for housing state inmates and would then contract with the counties for a set number of beds for each county. The county contracts would be renewable on an annual basis.
Now, another plan has been brought up that calls for the county where the prison is built to contract with the private company for housing of the state inmates as well the local jail inmates. The State of Arkansas would then contract with the county to house the several hundred state prisoners. When a local county official ( not from Bradley County ) was asked why the change, he stated there was no change and it is being done so the state does not have to take proposals for a contract with the private company. This is a major alteration from the previous two plans.
In an article written by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and published September 29th, 2018, the project was discussed by members of the Legislative sub-committee on Charitable Penal and Correctional Institutions. It appears most of the legislators were unaware of the proposal.
In the article it stated that Act 1206 was passed allowing counties to contract with the state for up to twenty years to house prisoners. In the same article, Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness stated that the department of corrections is not contracting with the private company but with the counties. The matter was discussed at the Drew County Quorum Court Meeting recently and was covered by ''Monticellolive."
There are people in Bradley County that desire the prison to be built locally for the jobs and taxes it should generate. There are others that believe it creates a bad image to be a prison community and that efforts should be aimed at bringing in for- profit industry and business, instead of a prison. There are some members of the legislature that have concerns about privatization of penal institutions. Arkansas currently houses some 16,000 state inmates.
At this time the public is not sure what type plan is being proposed and we continue to wait on
action by the State of Arkansas or further action by Bradley and Drew counties.
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