Public safety bills seek to defund new prison in Franklin County

By Brett Rains

Click here for updates on this story

    LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (KHBS/KHOG) — Newly filed bills during the legislative session seek to fund public safety initiatives while defunding and reallocating revenue for a new 3,000-bed prison that is planned to be built in Franklin County.

“If my bills pass, we know that the first $100 million of sales tax revenue that comes in, the state is going to be able to address this crisis,” Arkansas District 28 Sen. Bryan King said. “Then they’re not going to have the money for the mega prison, major financial disaster in Franklin County.”

Senate Bill 143 would reallocate $100 million in sales tax revenues to Arkansas State Police for new crime reduction and prevention programs.

According to the bill, the programs would include assisting with probation and parole services, while also allowing funds for local sheriffs to hire more deputies to focus on preventing and reducing crimes in their counties.

Senate Bill 144 would allow the eight Arkansas counties, which account for approximately two-thirds of the state’s prison inmates, to partner with adjoining counties to build or expand a shared multi-county jail to house inmates who are waiting to go to prison.

King told 40/29 News that his proposals would ease local jail overcrowding issues while also adequately funding public safety measures in Arkansas.

“We’ve got to address the crime issue right now. There’s nothing in the governor’s proposal that’s going to do anything substantial to reduce the crime. We’ve already got a high incarceration rate,” King said. “This is just finding revenue streams that we know will pay for, and do it in a fiscally responsible way, and get immediate safety out there to our citizens.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.