Cummins Unit
| Cummins | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
Cummins Unit
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 Cummins
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| Coordinates: 34°03′05″N 91°35′02″W / 34.05139°N 91.58389°WCoordinates: 34°03′05″N 91°35′02″W / 34.05139°N 91.58389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Lincoln |
| Township | Auburn Township |
| Elevation | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 71644 |
| Area code(s) | 870 |
| GNIS feature ID | 64050 GNIS for prison building: 82008 |
 Arkansas historical photos - Arkansas Department of Correction
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The Cummins Unit (formerly known as Cummins State Farm) is an Arkansas Department of Correction prison in unincorporated Lincoln County, Arkansas, United States, in the Arkansas Delta region. It is located along U.S. Route 65, near Grady,Gould, and Varner, 28 miles (45 km) south of Pine Bluff, and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Little Rock.
This prison farm is a 16,500-acre (6,700 ha) correctional facility. The prison first opened in 1902 and has a capacity of 1,725 inmates. Cummins housed Arkansas's male death row until 1986, when it was transferred first to the Tucker Maximum Security Unit. The State of Arkansas execution chamber is located in the Cummins Unit, adjacent to the location of the male death row, the Varner Unit. The female death row is located at the McPherson Unit. Cummins is one of the state of Arkansas's "parent units" for male prisoners; it serves as one of several units of initial assignment for processed male prisoners.
In 1902 the State of Arkansas purchased about 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of land for $140,000 ($3875307.69 when adjusted for inflation) to build the Cummins Unit. The prison was established during that year, and prisoners began occupying the site in December. The prison occupied the former Cummins and Maple Grove plantations.
Then-Governor of Arkansas Jeff Davis wanted the state to buy a farm in Jefferson County owned by Louis Altheimer, a Republican Party leader who was Davis's friend. When the legislature instead purchased the land for Cummins, Davis put up political opposition, trying to force the state to cancel the purchase.
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