On Monday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders proposed a $470 million package for new prison beds and changes in current sentencing laws dealing with violent offenders.
Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., was at the press conference when Sanders set out the plan, and on Tuesday, Woods appeared on the Oldies 1013 morning show where host Greg Horne asked if this legislation was likely to sail through the legislature as easily as Sanders’ educational proposals.
Woods said there has been no definite decision on where a new prison would be built, but there have been discussions.
He explained that what appeared to be recent pay increases were “eaten up by insurance increases” and he was going to work with the Quorum Court to try and get pay increases.
Horne said the City of Pine Bluff has proposed a tree-eights cent sales tax increase for public safety and if that passes, it would offer more competition to recruiting efforts.
