LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Board of Corrections sent a letter to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday and asked for the state's National Guard to help with staffing issues. This request comes as the state asks them to add more beds.
In the letter, Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness asked Sanders for 138 National Guard members to help with staffing shortages, an issue he said has prevented them from adding more beds per the governor’s request.
Gov. Sanders responded to Magness's request Friday morning, calling his letter an "example of the desire to play political games."
The governor continued her critique of Magness, later calling for the immediate resignation of his position due to what she feels is a "lack of action" from the Board of Corrections.
"It is at this time that I must call for your immediate resignation," Gov. Sanders said. "It is clear that the Board of Corrections is incapable of rational, reasonable, or fiscally responsible decision making under [Magness's] leadership."
The Board of Corrections held a last-minute meeting on Friday to discuss the recent criticisms.
Magness said he will not resign. The board also voted to hire outside legal counsel for the Board of Corrections, and put Secretary Joe Profiri on paid suspension.
They did not make any decision on who will take over interim secretary.
The governor accused Magness of attempting to use the men and women of the National Guard as "pawns" and refused his letter's request to bring them in to combat staffing issues.
Gov. Sanders claimed an initial plan that required no additional personnel was in place by Secretary Joe Profiri.
As the Board of Corrections looks to combat staffing issues, Gov. Sanders called on them to reinstate Secretary Profiri and implement his plan in order to reactivate beds.
"If the Board wants to reactivate beds, then they should reinstate the Secretary and implement his plan without delay," the governor said. "I will not inject our guardsmen and women into a purely political situation caused by the very person requesting them."
This comes after Gov. Sanders rejected their request for aid from the National Guard and called for the resignation of Board of Corrections chairman Benny Magness.
The Board of Corrections and Attorney General Tim Griffin are currently in a legal battle after the board suspended Secretary of Corrections Joe Profiri.