Vanir Construction has been selected to oversee the development of a new 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, Arkansas. William Straughn will serve as the liaison between the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) and Vanir Construction during the project, which is set to take place at Mill Creek Mountain, north of Charleston and southwest of Ozark.

Straughn, chosen at the ADC’s December 2 meeting, is also the deputy director of institutions. In his role, Straughn manages various ADC institutions, the prison classification process, transportation, and accreditation. He also oversees facilities in Marianna, Newport, Tucker, and Calico Rock.

Earlier in October, Vanir Construction, a California-based firm, was awarded a $16.5-million contract to manage the prison project. This marks Vanir's first venture in Arkansas, though the company has overseen projects worth over $30 billion across multiple states.