Our View

Our View

Prison population problems persist

We’ve all been hearing quit a bit lately about creative ways to deal with the growing problem of prison overcrowding in Arkansas, while experts ensure us what’s being proposed won’t jeopardize our safety.

It’s all about addressing recidivism, mental issues, hiring additional parole and probation officers and job training, all designed to reduce the prison population and avoiding spending millions of tax dollars on building more prisons.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has made it clear since becoming governor he wants every possible alternative explored before even considering spending in excess of $100 million for new prison facilities, additional staff and upkeep.

One of the latest suggestions being considered is limiting the amount of time parole and probation violators spend locked up. During a recent legislative task force session the Council of State Governments Justice Center presented its first set of policy recommendations.

Let’s all reflect back on one of the reasons Arkansas’ prison population skyrocketed faster than any other state in the nation between 2012 and 2014. It was because of a massive crackdown on these parole offenders in direct response to the 2013 murder of a Fayetteville teen by a unsupervised parole absconder.

This nagging issue will certainly be on the legislative agenda when lawmakers meet in regular session this January and we expect not only will such recommendations from this council be highly considered but also the feasibility of actually purging forward with new prison construction.

Here’s the problem. Let’s remember that in 2011 lawmakers passed legislation that reduced sentences and allowed more parolees to remain free despite violations of terms of their release. Prison crowding did drop, only to spike again after 2013, when the slaying of Forrest Abrams by a man with numerous parole violations and 10 felonies spotlighted the number of serial offenders being released.

What lawmakers are facing is a prison capacity of 15,672 with a current population of around 18,000 this year.

The so-called experts are saying the top contributing factor for the growth in the number of state prisoners has been the amount of time parolees are re-incarcerated for technical violations, such as failing a drug test or failing to pay fines.

History teaches all of us very valuable lessons, and in this particular situation these lawmakers and experts should learn from some very bad past experiences before making any changes that could very possibly jeopardize public safety.

While all these recommendations and options are worthy of consideration, Board of Correction Chairman Benny Magness is telling lawmakers that he is of the opinion that no changes presented to the committee will eliminate the need for more prison beds.

And, he added, his prison board has given the green light for a requested $39.2 million expansion at the North Central Unit in Calico Rock by 576 beds.

We’ll leave those concerned about prison issues and public safety with this one last comment. Democrats need to be remembered as supportive of less punitive criminal-justice changes, and the fact that this latest study was commissioned by the Republican leadership of the Legislature and by Gov. Hutchinson.