This story has been significantly updated since it was first published.

Residents and local officials say they were surprised by the news Gov. Sarah Sanders and other state officials have chosen Charleston in southern Franklin County as the site of a massive new state prison that will house about 3,000 inmates.

Although the governor has discussed building a new prison since at least March 2023, there has been no public discussion of a location for the facility, which would be the largest in the state.

News of the site selection broke Wednesday after an Ozark radio station, KDYN-FM 92.7, said on Facebook that Sanders would go on air at noon Thursday “to discuss reports of a prison being built in Franklin County.” .

Chairman of the Correctional Committee Benny Magness confirmed the news in a phone call Thursday morning.

“It’s real,” he said. “The governor's office and other people … have been working on this for quite some time. As far as I know, they picked three properties and this one came out on top.” (Magness said Arkansas Times He couldn't say the exact location of the other possible sites, but said they were in northwest Arkansas.)

Sanders made it official in her midday interview with KDYN, which the radio station has since posted on Facebook. A press release from the governor's office shortly afterward provided details of the deal:

The state purchased this secluded 815-acre property today for $2,950,000 after a months-long search. This property provides the infrastructure needed for a new prison, including cell reception, plumbing, electricity and a nearby fire department, and is also close to more than 100,000 workers who could staff the new facility. The property is large enough to provide privacy for both neighbors and occupants.

Although it is not yet possible to provide a full cost estimate for the new prison, this project will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time construction spending in Charleston and create thousands of jobs. Once completed, the prison is estimated to employ nearly 800 people with an average salary of more than $46,600 and improve Charleston's roads, utilities and infrastructure.

Charleston, a city of about 2,600 residents, is located about 17 miles southeast of Ozark on the south side of the Arkansas River. Accordingly Cody Sosebee, Because it is a Franklin County justice of the peace who represents the area, local officials were not told about the jail until this week.

Sosebee used Facebook Live on Wednesday evening to address voters who were shocked by the news. “I didn't know anything about it. I called Rep. Jon Eubanks and he didn't know anything about it. … Nobody wants that in our area,” he said. (Eubanks County includes Charleston.)

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Thursday that Rep. Mark Berry (R-Ozark) said he was not involved in the process and expressed dissatisfaction with the “lack of transparency between the executive branch and the legislature.”

Whether you like it or not, the plans are becoming reality. The Board of Corrections approved a $16.5 million contract in early October with Vanir Construction Management, a California-based company that will oversee the design and construction of the facility.

According to a Democrat-Gazette report earlier this month, Vanir was expected to help with site selection. But suddenly the Franklin County location seems to be a done deal.

Magness told this Arkansas Times The Board of Corrections — which has sometimes publicly clashed with Gov. Sanders — was included in discussions over the choice of prison location.

“We were advised and supported every step of the way…The governor's office contacted every board member on Friday and Monday regarding the purchase,” he said.

The board did not vote on the website, he said. But “the board will now be involved in the design and other parts of this construction process,” he added.

When asked if the public should have had a hand in choosing the site, Magness said he couldn't answer that question: “I think this location is so far away from a lot of residents that I don't think it would have been necessary.” “We need to hold a public hearing first,” he said.

Not many sites would meet all the criteria for building such a large prison, Magness added. “It's different if you're looking for a 1,500-bed facility,” he said, compared to the massive 3,000-bed facility the state envisions.

According to the press release from the governor's office, the Department of Corrections still needs to vote on approval of the site before construction can begin.

In Sanders' Thursday interview with KDYN, host Mark Dietz asked the governor what she would say to Charleston residents concerned about the prospect of a new prison in their backyard.

The governor said the prison would create jobs and was “probably the largest single economic investment in Franklin County history.” But the most important thing to remember, she said, is that the lack of prison beds is making the state unsafe.

“These people that we're going to lock up… can either be in this prison, in this facility where they're being guarded, or they can be in your community,” she responded. “At the moment this is our alternative. We don't have the space and we don't have the ability to arrest and incarcerate them.” This will “ensure that our state and our communities are infinitely safer,” Sanders said.

Arkansas prisons have long been overcrowded and facing staffing shortages. Many state prisoners are therefore housed in “substitute rooms” in county prisons. But prison reform advocates say the state's already sky-high incarceration rate shows that building more and more prisons will not solve public safety problems in the long term. Arkansas incarcerates more people per capita than most states or the U.S. as a whole, itself an international outlier.

Dietz noted that local elected officials have expressed frustration at being kept in the dark about the new prison. “Was this just a state deal, so no local officials were involved beforehand?” he asked the governor.

Sanders dodged the question, saying it was “no secret” that her administration was focused on public safety.

“For the last year and a half, we've been talking very publicly about the fact that we're going to build a new prison here in the state,” she said. “We have been searching for the right location and as we have taken further steps and progressed, we have notified and contacted these stakeholders and will continue to work with them throughout the process.”

Dietz pressed for more information. “I don't want to harp on it, but… Did our local officials know this was going on and not tell us? Or did they not know about it?” he asked. “Our county representatives, our state representatives, things like that. Were you involved in choosing the location?”

Sanders seemed a little surprised. “Uh, no, this is a federally funded, state decision,” she said. “But of course, again, we have notified several of these individuals and will continue to work closely with them as we take the next steps to get this facility up and running.”

No matter how unhappy Franklin County's elected officials may be about the prison, other Republicans in Arkansas don't share them. The governor's press release included quote after quote from state lawmakers and others praising the development. An example:

“A new prison that provides the state with significant additional prison capacity is critical to implementing the Protect Act, which will make all Arkansans safer. Our county jails are full of criminals who should be in state prison. This means we cannot put those who commit misdemeanors in prison, and the perpetrators know it. I appreciate the leadership of the Governor and the General Assembly in prioritizing the safety of Arkansans.” said Attorney General Tim Griffin.

“Public safety has been a priority for me and my colleagues since my early days in the Legislature. Today’s announcement is an example of the General Assembly and Governor’s commitment to keeping our communities safe.” said House Speaker Matthew Shepherd. “While we have also adopted diversion and rehabilitation options, building a new prison demonstrates our strong commitment to fighting crime, protecting Arkansans and maintaining accountability for our most dangerous offenders.”

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the continued support of the Arkansas Legislature and Governor Sanders for public safety.” said Arkansas Senate President Bart Hester. “With safe roads, great schools and Arkansas’ natural resources, Arkansas will continue to attract good-paying jobs fleeing states that are not committed to the same priorities.”

“Thank you, Governor Sanders, for keeping repeat violent offenders off our streets and ensuring the safety of Arkansans is our top priority.” said Senator Ben Gilmore. “The Governor, Attorney General and Legislature are once again demonstrating our commitment to law enforcement, the safety of Arkansans and the continued economic growth of our state by addressing the urgent need for increased capacity.”

“The selection of this location represents a significant step toward reducing the burden on our county jails while improving public safety throughout Arkansas. “Choosing this location in Northwest Arkansas is a strategic move that not only addresses the urgent need for additional prison capacity, but also ensures access to a qualified workforce and will create new jobs, spurring economic development for local residents.” said Rep. Jimmy Gazaway. (Editor's note: Franklin County residents do not consider themselves part of Northwest Arkansas.)