The Fight

Franklin County residents and their own sheriff are opposing a $825 million, 3,000-bed prison that Governor Sanders announced in October 2024. The opposition intensified dramatically in September 2025 when it was revealed that ICE agents and a former corrections secretary were secretly scouting the site for immigration detention use. The project faces resistance from both local communities and the state legislature, which has declined to fund it.

Key Details

Timeline

• Oct 31, 2024: Gov. Sanders announces $2.95M purchase of 815 acres on Hwy 215 north of Charleston
• Nov 1, 2024: Board of Corrections approves site
• April 2025: HDR Cromwell approved as architect
• Sept 22, 2025: Franklin County Chief Deputy Jon Little encounters 3 ICE agents from New Orleans + Joe Profiri (former DOC secretary, now governor’s adviser) at the site
• Sept 25, 2025: Arkansas Advocate breaks the story — ICE agent said “we can have this up very quickly, we’ll put a temporary one up first”
• Dec 2025: Reports indicate 2026 will bring new developments
• April 2026: Legislature has not approved funding; legislative leaders say votes aren’t there
• ~Apr 27, 2026: ADC spokesperson confirms project “on hold for months” — no work at site beyond routine maintenance; $750M appropriation bill failed five times in Senate; water wells on the property proven insufficient, nearby cities (Fort Smith, Ozark) declined to supply water; Sanders says she still believes Franklin County is “the best location” but is “open to other ideas”; alternatives include a smaller 1,500-bed facility, expanding existing facilities, and county sites in Hempstead, Dallas, Nevada, and Searcy counties
• Apr 28, 2026: Arkansas fiscal session nears end with Revenue Stabilization Act vote expected Apr 29; no Franklin County prison funding included; “guarded optimism” from at least one opponent that the project is stalling permanently

Opposition Forces

• Sheriff Johnny Crocker: Called the prison plan “fiscally irresponsible”; his chief deputy discovered the ICE visit
• Franklin County residents: “Made their opposition crystal clear” — concerns about infrastructure (workforce, power, water, roads), civil liberties, federal overreach
• For AR People Action: Grassroots organizing group that has spent “thousands of hours” investigating the project’s true purpose
• Arkansas Legislature: Leaders in both chambers say votes to approve $825M funding aren’t there; appropriation unlikely in 2026

Political Connections

• CoreCivic is the reported proposed operator
• CoreCivic’s retired CEO Damon Hininger contributed maximum allowable amounts to Gov. Sanders’ campaigns
• CoreCivic donated substantially to Sanders’ political committee (TeamSHS) and Arkansas PACs
• Joe Profiri — former DOC secretary turned governor’s special adviser — was present at the covert ICE site visit
• The DOC itself was not informed of the ICE visit

What’s at Stake

At 3,000 beds, this would be among the largest ICE detention centers in the country if converted. The “we can have this up quick” quote and the covert visit suggest ICE is prepared to move fast. The CoreCivic connection and campaign finance trail suggest a private prison play disguised as state infrastructure.

Sources

• Feds considering immigration detention facility — Arkansas Advocate (Sept 25, 2025)
• Proposed Franklin County Prison Looks To Be an ICE Site — For AR People Action
• Franklin County sheriff calls plan ‘fiscally irresponsible’ — THV11
• Arkansas Explained: What is the Franklin County prison project? — Arkansas Advocate (Apr 3, 2026)
• 2026 expected to bring new developments — River Valley Democrat-Gazette (Dec 31, 2025)
• Arkansas’ 3,000-bed prison site is on hold. What are the other options? — Arkansas Advocate (Apr 27, 2026) — Sanders “open to other ideas” as water infrastructure and funding failures keep project stalled
• Hold on Franklin County prison plan viewed with ‘guarded optimism’ by one opponent — Talk Business & Politics (Apr 2026)
• Arkansas fiscal session nears end amid prison, PBS funding debate — KUAF (Apr 28, 2026)