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Oct 14, 2023

Representative Watson provides prison update, rundown of new state law at Hope Lions Club meeting Monday

Representative Danny Watson spoke at yesterday’s Lion’s Club meeting in the

Representative Danny Watson spoke at yesterday's Lion's Club meeting in the Amigo Juan's Annex about the current status of applications by the Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC) to have state prisons located in Hempstead county and described the process that unfolded once Watson found out about the need for new state prisons. He also described and interpreted dozens of bills that were passed and signed into law during the most recent legislative session.

Concerning the possibility of one or two prisons locating in Hempstead County, Watson read a letter written by the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Joe Profiri:

"We are in receipt of your proposal regarding a land donation for a potential department of corrections facility. Due to existing backlog in the county jails, as well as the projected increase in prison population resulting from legislation passed during the 94th General Assembly, the legislature has pledged funding to provide for a larger facility than was contemplated by the original solicitation.

"The scope of this project has increased. Therefore, the department is now conducting a comprehensive review of facility needs. We will retain your proposal, and we will contact you once we have determined the next steps in our process. Thank you for supporting the expansion efforts in the department.

Before the 2022 election, Watson said, he and 134 other legislators got notice from the Department of Corrections that "prisons will have to built." Having learned of this Friday afternoon, Watson forwarded the message to Steve Harris, then executive director of HCEDC. When he ran into Harris later, Watson suggested to Harris that the HCEDC board think about the matter.

Later, Watson was invited to attend a Friday meeting of the HCEDC at which there were no questions for Watson, who said in the days after, "slowly the word got out and leaving it up to the … board. ‘What do you want to do? Do you want to go for them or not." After that, Harris contacted the Arkansas Department of Corrections to learn the requirements for applying and of a three-week deadline for submission of the application for a 1,000-bed prison. In the three weeks, the HCEDC was only able to secure two potential locations before sending in the form.

Later, the HCEDC would learn the state would be building a 250-bed facility for those with 90-days still to serve who need transition services up to the point of release. The smaller amount of land and employees needed made this application easier to prepare, so it was sent, too. Now Hempstead County is a waiting game to see whether its proposals will be chosen over a few competing locations.

Hempstead County was the only county to meet the deadline in applying for the larger prison. For the smaller, Hempstead and "two or three more" met the deadline. As Watson said, "Again, it might not happen but I got to feel this going to happen somewhere."

Other proposals passing that Watson spoke of were:

Watson said one of his goals as a legislator is keep young people from having to move to other states to seek jobs. He spoke of the sad day his son had to move out of Arkansas in 2002 to Louisiana on a career path that as of now has taken him most recently to Sacramento. "He hasn't been back yet," Watson said, other than visits.

He closed by asking that the audience get in touch with him if they had questions and concerns and inviting the Lions to send a delegation to Little Rock to be shown around the capitol.

A brief question and answer period followed. The first question was whether Watson knew the number of Arkansans dying every year from fentanyl overdoses. Watson said he did not remember the exact numbers but he had heard them from Kevin Cleghorn, the President of the Arkansas Coroners’ Association: "When you hear that number, you want to get out of your mind. Because it increases every day. Sorry, I don't have that number, but it's something. What hurts me about it, so many times I see it. You don't get a chance to brag about it or talk about it. By the time I know that it was laced with it, it is too late."

A follow-up question came, asking what is being done to lower the price of Narcam, which the questioner said is $77 at pharmacies. Watson thanked the questioner for the information and said, "I won't have to write that one down. That is something I will forward and follow up on."

Another questioner asked how the LEARNS Act's requirements of reading to grade-level for third graders would be applied to the dyslexic. Watson said, "I don't have a specific answer. I will say that my daughter-in-law, that is one of her certifications where she teaches … But I will say this. That is covered in the LEARNS [Act] extensively."

The questioner responded that at present many students were going undiagnosed. Watson said, "We’ve had a lot of questions all across the state on that."

Another questioner asked whether the third-grade reading requirement would be applied to students in private schools and in home schooling. Watson said private schools can opt out of the requirement, as can those having their children home schooled. He said he would be in communications soon with Christi Zumwalt, Administrator of Garrett Memorial Christian School, "to see if they want to take advantage of anything." Watson reported that Hope Public Schools Superintendent Jonathan Crossley told him, "I’m looking forward to this," in addition to the district's conversion to the magnet school model.

At this point, Lions President Charles Looney interceded to read a note of thanks from Hope High School Principal Donald Patton for the Lions serving food to students taking the state standardized assessment tests. The meeting adjourned after this.