Arkansas Senator Proposes Bills to Defund Mega Prison, Boost Public Safety

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas State Sen. Bryan King has introduced two bills aimed at reallocating funds from a proposed 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County to public safety initiatives, including crime prevention programs and local law enforcement support.

Senate Bill 143 would redirect $100 million in sales tax revenue to the Arkansas State Police for new crime reduction and prevention programs. These programs would assist probation and parole services and provide funds for local sheriffs to hire additional deputies. Senate Bill 144 would allow eight counties, which account for two-thirds of the state’s prison population, to partner with neighboring counties to build or expand shared multi-county jails.

“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,” King said. “Then they’re not going to have the money for the mega prison, major financial disaster in Franklin County.”

King emphasized the need to address Arkansas’s high incarceration rate and rising crime levels. “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,” he said.

The proposed prison in Franklin County, near Charleston, has faced criticism for its potential financial burden and lack of focus on systemic issues. King, who has a background in construction, called the project a “three-headed monster” that fails to address overcrowding, high incarceration rates, and crime simultaneously.

“It’s a triple-headed monster. So if you tackle the prison overcrowding right now, the other part about high incarceration rates and high crime rates will continue,” King said. He also criticized the lack of cost estimates and infrastructure planning for the proposed prison.

King’s proposal includes forming partnerships with high-incarceration counties to create regional correctional facilities and establishing a dedicated revenue stream to hire more public safety officers. “Work with those counties and try to form partnerships or board of corrections facilities. The second part is a crime part that takes a dedicated revenue stream to hire more officers only dedicated to public safety, not writing tickets, not working accidents,” he explained.

The debate over the prison expansion comes as Arkansas faces rising crime rates and a growing prison population. Advocates for criminal justice reform argue that expanding prisons without addressing underlying social issues will only worsen the state’s challenges.

King is also seeking a constitutional amendment to allow voters to decide on using medical marijuana and casino tax revenues to fund public safety initiatives. The fate of both King’s bills and the governor’s prison expansion plan remains uncertain as the legislative session continues.