Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Prison Site topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Natalie Cadena raises geological concerns about proposed Franklin County prison site
Summary
At a Dec. 6 Senate Committee on Children and Youth meeting in Little Rock, Natalie Cadena of the Franklin County & River Valley Coalition warned that Mill Creek Mountain’s karst topography—sinkholes, caves and springs—could pose structural risks for a proposed prison, and questioned the site’s suitability.
The Senate Committee on Children and Youth met Dec. 6, 2024, in Little Rock to hear a presentation on a proposed prison site in Franklin County.
Natalie Cadena, Research and Education Chair of the Franklin County & River Valley Coalition, told the committee that the planned site on Mill Creek Mountain exhibits karst topography — characterized by sinkholes, caves and springs — and that those geological features could create structural challenges for construction. She argued those conditions may make the location an inappropriate choice for a correctional facility. Exhibit B was submitted with the presentation as supporting material.
The committee’s minutes record the attendance of Senators Bryan King (Chair), Alan Clark (Vice Chair) and Greg Leding, along with other legislators, and note that Senator King called the meeting to order. The minutes do not record any committee action, motion, or vote on the proposal during this session.
The presentation focused on geological suitability and potential construction risks; the minutes do not record responses from agency staff, engineers, or other testimony addressing those points. The committee adjourned at 11:00 a.m. with no further business noted in the minutes.
The Senate Committee on Children and Youth is recorded as having taken no formal action on the prison proposal during this meeting; next steps, if any, were not specified in the minutes.
