Arkansas prisons already overcrowded, and DOC asks communities to donate land in order to address the issue as soon as possible

Prisons in Arkansas are also facing other issues than dealing with inmates, with overcrowding being one of them and a key contributing factor to poor prison conditions.

Therefore, the Arkansas Board of Corrections and the Arkansas Department of Correction are working to address the issue and are asking communities in Arkansas if someone would be willing to help them find land that would be used for building a new correction center where offenders would be accommodated.

They sent out a notice to the public, asking municipalities to indicate whether or not they would be interested in donating land for the facility. On the website of the Department of Corrections, information about the donation of land states that the location must have a minimum of 400 acres of flat terrain, be in close proximity to a public road, and not be prone to earthquakes or floods.

The proposed land locations also have to be located close to major medical resources, including a hospital with an emergency room and utilities for gas, electricity, and water, in a populated area that would make hiring easier.

The Department of Corrections will examine and evaluate the proposals for donated land, and then present its conclusions to the Board of Corrections so that it may make a decision.

The individuals in charge of the prisons indicated that they couldn’t wait much longer for a solution to be found, as they say the prisons are already overcrowded.

Communities that are considering proposing a site should email [email protected] to receive a site evaluation questionnaire and submit it to the Department of Corrections by February 23 of next year.