9 Worst Prisons in The State of Arkansas

Arkansas has about 20 prisons in total, which have the capacity to hold about seventeen thousand inmates.

All Arkansas prisons are operated under the jurisdiction of the State of Arkansas correctional authorities. They have more than seventeen thousand inmates at a time, exceeding their capacity limit. Arkansas is a beautiful natural state but a rough place for prisoners.

What makes prison rough for an inmate?

To determine the worse or best prison for an inmate in Arkansas or anywhere in the world for it, We have to look at many factors of prison, such as; the number of prisoners, how they are being treated and handled, number of deaths, number of riots, number of assaults, lack of necessities, inmate/prisoner to guard ratio, and many others.

If all of these factors are there or any one of them is present in prison, it can be worse prison to be in.

This article will further discuss the 9 Worst Prisons in The State of Arkansas

Following are some of the worst prisons in the State of Arkansas:

1. East Arkansas Regional Unit:

East Arkansas Regional Unit has not been considered a better place of work by its employees and former employees as the ratio of guards to an inmate is low. There are few guards. And every day is typical for new problems in the unit, such as riots, gang fights, or lack of supplements.

The management of the East Arkansas Regional Unit doesn't care about the employees due to a lot of disputes or encounters between the employees and inmates due to the mismanagement by a few people.

It was established in 1992 for substance abuse treatment and educational programs. But later on, it was founded that many guards used force on the inmates, which might lead to their deaths. These guards were dismissed later, but until now, the prison is still considered the same but has few restrictions.

2. McPherson Unit:

McPherson Unit is also known as McPherson Women's Unit. It was established in 1998 only for women. But in this prison, there have been reports of murders of many inmates in a gang fight and by the guards.

McPherson Unit has specialized facilitation programs for educating their inmates for the better by providing online classes where only two courses offer Customer service and GED. For this course, the fee is said to be $100 for each course, but when some inmates were asked how they managed to pay for it. They said they never paid and never asked for it because the classes were free for prisoners.

While it is considered the worse prison for women in Arkansas, its environment isn't positive, and the necessities are lacking too.

3. Wrightsville Unit

Wrightsville Unit was established in 1981. Managed by the Arkansas Department of Corrections, it can hold only 850 prisoners, including both male and female prisoners. For the employees, it is reported that the pay offered to them is meager than what they were supposed to be getting, and working hours are said to be countless due to understaffing.

Due to this, many current employees are actively looking for better job opportunities as their current job is underpaid and a massive risk to their lives. For prisoners, separate metal lockers are assigned for their personal belongings. Still, the downside is it is only provided to solve overcrowding in the cells, which usually contain 50 Inmates in one cell, which is too much by any standard.

This problem mostly led to inmates' fights and deaths; due to high staff turnover, the gangs are nurtured in prison and cannot be controlled/Managed, which is a reason for the end of staff and inmates.

4. Varner Unit:

Varner Unit is a prison having thousands of inmates, and it is specialized only for males. It was established in 1987 and is now only for male juvenile/minor offenders. And it was segregated from the other adult inmates in 2000. All its execution and operation are held at the correctional facility, but it is not a safe place to be as it is under a massive curse of corruption.

As management will only facilitate those inmates who can provide financial benefits, the benefits' values go up the facilities for inmates too. This situation is chaos for both the inmates and the guards as there is nothing that will protect them from inmates who have management on their payroll.

5. The Supermax units:

The Supermax units were open in 2000. The male and the segregation took place in the Varner unit; all the adult offenders were then sent to The Supermax units while juveniles were kept at Varner Unit. It has the same problem with Varner Unit as the management is with the Supermax units inmates and being corrupt and not helping the guards or other employees.

All employees, including guards, are being paid less. So many guards benefit inmates to earn some financial benefit from them. But even if you help them, no guard or employee is being respected there. And management will not take any action against the inmates.

But remember, Varner Unit and Supermax units are not heavens for inmates or guards because only a few inmates are willing and able to financially benefit the management while the inmates and management are brutally treating the other as their punishment for not being able to provide the financial benefit of any kind by making their living miserable in there.

6. Cummins Unit:

Cummins Unit was known as Cummins State Farm, established in 1986. It was brutal for the inmates, who were asked to work in the field without proper equipment or quotas.

They would be required to work as much as possible, and the guards will brutally beat anyone who failed to do so. Prisoners were only exempt from work when the temperature was below freezing. And they would have to work six days a week. And no exemption on employment will be given on medical illness.

7. Tucker Unit:

Tucker Unit was established in 1967. It introduces the concept of the electric chair named Tucker Telephone. Tucker Unit is famous for its brutality with the inmates and covered the deaths of its inmates. Guards and employees have a brutal attitude towards the inmates. Once, a guard discharged his duties after receiving a lap dance while performing the task.

No medical facility is available for the inmates, and no proper regulation is being implemented there. But with all these, correction programs are being performed for the inmate's facilitation where education and self-discipline programs are being offered to the inmates.

8. Southwest Arkansas Community Correction Center:

Southwest Arkansas Community Correction Center is a prison only for males and has 475 beds. For inmates, it is a better prison than all discussed above, but for the employees, it is worse because it has extensive hectic working hours and significantly underpaid employees. So, many guards and employees tend to leave, which might disturb the ratio between inmates and guards. The absence of guards is a factor that is helping in the growth of gangs in prisons, leading to other undesired outcomes for inmates and guards.

9. Northeast Arkansas Community Corrections:

Northeast Arkansas Community Corrections have 240 beds, and it's only for males. But this prison is under corruption. Guards cannot trust each other's, and everyone is ready to team up for a specific benefit; and when the work is done, they will throw each other under the bus, which can lead to a riot, murder and gang war,

The quote "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" perfectly fits this situation. There is gang formation, and whoever is in the gang will be protected while other inmates will be mistreated, and no facility will be provided to them by the management or employees. And employees are being underpaid, no overtime has been rewarded, and no trust in the employer because no one knows who is corrupted and who will pull the leg, which might cause your life.

Read more articles about the worst prisons in different states in the US:

• 5 Worst Prisons In The State of Colorado
• 7 Worst Prisons In The State of North Carolina
• 7 Worst Prisons in The State of Pennsylvania
• 7 Worst Prisons in the State of Ohio
• 7 Worst Prisons in the State of New York