McPherson Unit is a prison for women of the Arkansas Department of Correction, located in Newport, Arkansas, off Arkansas Highway 384, east of central Newport. Established in 1998, the prison houses the state's death row for women. The unit houses a campus of the Riverside Vocational Technical School. Originally it was managed by the Wackenhut Corrections Corp. (now GEO Group), with the management contract beginning in July 1997. In 2001, after operating the McPherson Unit and the nearby Grimes Unit at losses, Wackenhut stated that it would not renew the contract. Notable prisoners Death Row Christina Marie Riggs – Executed May 2, 2000. Non-Death Row Leslie MacKool - Serving life without the possibility of parole. References External links McPherson Unit - Arkansas Department of Correction Prisons in Arkansas Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Arkansas Capital punishment in Arkansas 1998 establishments in Arkansas GEO Group Newport, Arkansas