Lawmaker calls to build two 500-bed prisons in Northwest Arkansas; sheriffs respond

NORTHWEST ARK. (KNWA/KFTA) — Following an Arkansas state representative’s call to build two 500-bed prisons in Northwest Arkansas in both Benton and Washington counties. Sheriffs from both counties are responding. Representative Steve Unger, a Republican from Springdale, shared the proposal with the Arkansas Joint Senate and House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Unger suggested building the prisons near the existing county jails. Unger noted that building a prison in growing Northwest Arkansas would eliminate staffing challenges that rural communities face. “I don’t know that we need more prison beds, but we need prison beds where we have the workforce to staff them appropriately,” Unger said. “We have the infrastructure. We have the roads. We have the hospitals. And more importantly, I think we have the volunteers.” Ideally, the facilities would be state-owned and manned by state correction guards, bearing no cost to the county, Unger said.

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