The Chairman of the Arkansas prisons board, Benny Magness, has declined to step down despite Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders urging him to do so earlier on Friday.
Sanders, in response to a letter from Magness requesting the activation of 138 National Guard members to address staffing shortages in prisons, accused Magness of engaging in a “political stunt.” She called on him to step aside and allow someone focused on the safety of Arkansans to take his place.
Magness, speaking at a special-call meeting held by the board on Friday evening, asserted his commitment to the board’s actions taken in December. He expressed that the request for National Guard assistance was genuine and not politically motivated. Magness emphasized the board’s non-political stance and willingness to collaborate with Governor Sanders’ administration.
In his letter, Magness had proposed deploying 40 Guardsmen to the Maximum Security and Tucker Units to free up prison guards for opening additional beds at the Tucker Re-Entry Center. An additional 98 Guard members were requested for prisons with correctional officer vacancy rates exceeding 40%. Magness clarified that these Guard members would be involved in perimeter security and other non-inmate-facing roles.
The decision to involve the Arkansas Guard in state matters typically rests with the governor, usually in emergency situations or national disasters. Sanders criticized Magness in her Friday letter, accusing him of playing political games and involving National Guard members as pawns. She advocated for reinstating Secretary Profiri’s plan to reopen beds safely without additional personnel.
Sanders called for Magness, who has served on the board since 1999 and chaired it for 17 years, to resign. While the governor has the authority to remove a board member, she would need majority support from the board’s members, which seems unlikely given the recent vote by the majority to sue Sanders.
The board has been at odds with Sanders, Profiri, and Attorney General Tim Griffin over the addition of temporary beds in various prison facilities. The chief concerns include the strain on correctional staff and the prison system’s infrastructure. A recent lawsuit by the board has temporarily halted the bed additions, and a hearing on making the order a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Dec. 28. Profiri has been suspended for the duration of the litigation.
