Fort Smith, ARK – The announcement that the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) had purchased 815 acres of land in Franklin County for a planned 3,000-bed prison has sparked a wave of controversy, with local officials and residents demanding transparency and an investigation into the state’s handling of the deal.
The land, purchased for $2.95 million by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) at the request of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office, was kept secret from the public and local officials until the transaction was completed. The lack of communication and the secrecy surrounding the deal have raised alarms among residents, lawmakers, and advocacy groups, who argue that the process was flawed and possibly unethical.
Secrecy and Lack of Oversight
A coalition of Franklin County residents, calling itself the River Valley Coalition, has raised questions about the transparency of the land purchase. The group claims that key stakeholders, including local officials and the ADFA board of directors, were kept in the dark about the true purpose of the purchase until after the deal was sealed.
Emails obtained by the coalition show that ADFA President Mark Conine and Chief Legal Counsel Jake Bleed did not disclose the planned use of the land to the agency’s board of directors, which was required to approve the purchase. In one email, Bleed even claimed that the land was not being acquired for a prison, contradicting the state’s later public justification.
Joey McCutchen, attorney for the coalition, said the emails suggest an effort to conceal the real purpose behind the land acquisition. “When you’ve got an administration who wants complete secrecy, you start hiding things from the board. It becomes a much more sinister event,” McCutchen argued.
Viability of the Site Under Scrutiny
The location of the proposed prison has also been criticized for its lack of suitability. Anne Laidlaw, director of the Division of Building Authority, expressed concerns in internal emails, stating that the site did not meet the necessary criteria for the prison, including adequate infrastructure and access. Local critics have questioned whether the site’s remote location, limited workforce, and infrastructure challenges make it a viable option for such a large-scale facility.
Adam Watson, a Franklin County resident and member of the coalition, raised concerns about the site-selection process, suggesting that the criteria had been altered to justify the purchase of the land. “It doesn’t fit the site-selection criteria that they initially laid out,” Watson said. “They’ve minimized those criteria to make it work for this property.”
Leasing Arrangement Raises Questions
In addition to concerns about transparency and site suitability, the method of acquiring the land has drawn further scrutiny. Instead of transferring ownership of the land to the Department of Corrections, the ADFA has leased the property to the department for a nominal fee of one dollar per year. Critics argue that this arrangement allowed the state to bypass legislative approval, which would have been required for a formal transfer of ownership.
Watson noted that the leasing arrangement “side-stepped a potentially negative vote in the legislature,” enabling the state to avoid scrutiny from lawmakers who might oppose the project. This move has fueled further speculation about the administration’s intentions and whether there was an effort to avoid legislative oversight.
Escalating Costs and Concerns Over Budget Overruns
The prison project, initially budgeted at $470 million, is now facing increasing concerns about potential cost overruns. State Sen. Bryan King (R-District 28) has warned that the final cost could balloon to over $1 billion, a prospect that is alarming to both taxpayers and lawmakers. King has raised concerns about the state’s ability to control the escalating costs, suggesting that the project’s financial implications could be far greater than initially projected.
“The project is already backing up and saying they can’t control the cost,” King said. “This is going to involve well over a billion dollars.” Critics worry that the state is rushing to break ground on the project without adequately addressing the financial risks or ensuring that the prison is built in the most suitable location.
Calls for Investigation and Accountability
In response to the growing controversy, State Sen. Bryan King and State Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-District 6), both of whom represent Franklin County, have called for a legislative hearing to investigate the handling of the land purchase. The lawmakers have requested that Senate President Bart Hester approve a meeting of the Judiciary Committee to examine the process, but as of now, the meeting has not been scheduled.
King has been vocal in his criticism of the governor’s office and the ADFA, suggesting that the secrecy surrounding the project raises serious questions about the state’s actions. “From top to bottom, from the governor all the way down, there needs to be an investigation,” he said. “The people of Arkansas deserve answers.”
However, Senate President Bart Hester has defended the state’s actions, stating that the need for a new prison is undeniable. “Look, anywhere we put a prison, there will be backlash. I have empathy for the people that it’s going to be near, but the number one responsibility of government is public safety,” Hester said. He also indicated that it would be more appropriate to address the issue during the legislative session in January.
What’s Next?
As the controversy over the land purchase continues to unfold, lawmakers and local residents are determined to get to the bottom of the matter. Calls for transparency, a full investigation, and accountability from the governor’s office are growing louder. Meanwhile, the state’s plans to move forward with the prison project appear to be progressing, despite the mounting opposition and unresolved questions.
With the issue expected to be a topic of discussion during the upcoming legislative session, all eyes will be on how the state handles the investigation and whether any changes will be made to the planning and execution of the prison project. For now, residents of Franklin County and state lawmakers continue to demand clarity and answers.