Arkansas Department of Corrections
Arkansas Correctional School | |
Key document |
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Website | https://doc.arkansas.gov/ |
The Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC), formerly the Arkansas Department of Correction, is the state law enforcement agency that oversees inmates and operates state prisons within the
The Department of Corrections was officially organized as a cabinet-level state agency in 2019, but traces history back to the first state penitentiary in 1838. Early efforts focused on convict leasing, though the program largely ended toward the end of the 19th century after abuses were exposed, and prisoners were housed in "The Walls" prison in Little Rock until 1933. Arkansas next transitioned to the prison farm system, establishing the Cummins State Farm and Tucker Farm in South Arkansas. Underfunded and mostly operated by so-called 'trusties' (inmates); corrupt and dangerous conditions plagued Arkansas prisons for decades, culminating in several reform efforts throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including the creation of the first modern incarnation of the ADC in 1967.
As the War on drugs and law and order politics became prominent, the Arkansas inmate population surged, and ADC built new prisons across the state. Prison conditions slowly improved and scandals became more infrequent. In 1993, Arkansas created the Department of Community Punishment (DCP), which would evolve into the DCC. Arkansas briefly contracted with a private prison between 1998 and 2001, but inmate conditions were unsafe and unsanitary and United States Department of Justice ruled Arkansas' private prison unconstitutional in 2003.
History
Arkansas became a state in 1836. The first
From 1849 to 1893 the State of Arkansas leased its convicted felons to private individuals. After abuses became publicized, the state assumed direct control of felons. The state continued to have prison labor be hired to contractors, manufacturers, and planters until 1913.[9]
In 1899, the penitentiary site was selected for the new
A new prison was simultaneously constructed on a new 15-acre (6.1 ha) site southwest of Little Rock. Nicknamed "The Walls", the new prison opened in 1910. In 1913 act 55, signed into law, lead to the establishment of a permanent execution chamber in the state prison system. In 1916 the state purchased the land which became the Tucker Unit. In 1933 Junius Marion Futrell, then the governor, closed the penitentiary in Little Rock and transferred the prisoners to Cummins and Tucker, and the execution chamber was moved to Tucker.[13]
In 1943 the state established the State Penitentiary Board through Act 1. In 1951 the state established the State Reformatory for Women through Act 351. The state moved the functions of the Arkansas State Training School for Girls to the state prison system.
Legal challenges begin
Discipline was routinely enforced by flogging, beating with clubs, inserting of needles under fingernails, crushing of testicles with pliers, and the last word in torture devices: the "
Tucker telephone," an instrument used to send an electric current through genitals[14]-- Tom Murton
By the 1960s, Arkansas was infamous for operating one of the most corrupt and dangerous prison systems in the nation.[15] Both Cummins and Tucker relied on the trusty system, which created a hierarchy of prisoners, with some designated as 'trusties' who the guards trusted with many of the day-to-day duties.[16] The Tucker Telephone was a torture device designed using parts from an old-fashioned crank telephone used to apply an electric shock to an uncooperative prisoner's genitals at Tucker.[17] Atrocious conditions in the prison system had long been known about in Arkansas, but rose in prominence during the 1960s.
In 1965, Federal Judge J. Smith Henley ruled in favor of Cummins inmates in Talley v. Stephens,[Notes 1] who sued claiming they were unconstitutionally subjected to cruel and unusual punishments and denied access to the courts and medical care. Henley ordered the prison stop forcing prisoners to work beyond their physical ability, cease arbitrary use of corporal punishment by "blows with a leather strap", and to allow access to medical care and legal resources without fear or reprisals. The case initiated a long legal saga that would eventually lead to major reforms in Arkansas prisons.
Department founding and early history
In
In 1974, Hutto resigned and moved to Virginia to become deputy director of the Virginia Department of Corrections.[29]
Recent history
In 2014 the state made a call for cities to submit bids to host a new maximum security prison.[30]
2019 State Government Reorganization
Following state government reorganization in 2019, the State of Arkansas created the cabinet level Department of Corrections (DOC) as the umbrella department for several corrections-related state agencies. DOC oversees administrative functions for these several units, including the Division of Community Corrections (DCC), Arkansas Parole Board (APB), Arkansas Sentencing Commission (ASC), Arkansas Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee, and the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision.
The primary duties of the old ADC is now under the auspices of the Division of Corrections, with DCC becoming the Division of Community Corrections, with both reporting to the Secretary of Corrections, a cabinet-level position.
Division of Correction
Arkansas Division of Correction | |
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Abbreviation | DOC |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1968 |
Preceding agency |
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Employees | 4000+ |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Legal jurisdiction | Arkansas |
Governing body | Arkansas Board of Corrections |
Constituting instrument | |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | 6814 Princeton Pike Pine Bluff, AR 71602 |
Agency executive |
|
Website | |
https://doc.arkansas.gov/correction/ |
Headquarters
The headquarters are in Pine Bluff.[31][32] The ADC headquarters moved to the Pine Bluff Complex in 1979.[33] Previously they were located in the State Office Building in Little Rock.[34]
Operations
For the diagnostic process, male inmates go to the
After the intake process, most inmates go to a "parent unit" for their initial assignment. The male parent units are
The ADC operates the Willis H. Sargent Training Academy in England, Arkansas.[37]
Boards and Commissions
In Arkansas's shared services model of state government, the cabinet-level agencies assist boards and commissions who have an overlapping scope. DOC supports:
- Boards
- Arkansas Board of Corrections
- Arkansas Parole Board
- Commissions
- Arkansas Sentencing Commission
- Committee
- Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee
- Councils
- Arkansas State Council for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision
Death row
Male death row inmates are located at the
In 1974 male death row inmates, previously at the
Demographics
As of June 3, 2015 the ADC has 18,681 prisoners. This is an increase from 1977, when it had 2,519 prisoners.[41] After a parole violator was accused of committing a 2013 murder,[42] the Arkansas Board of Corrections changed the conditions of parole, stating that any parolee accused of committing a felony must have his/her parole revoked, even if he/she has not yet been convicted of that felony. This caused the prison population to increase.[41]
Prisons
Prisons include:[43]
Facility | Location |
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Barbara Ester Unit (capacity 580) | off Highway 65 in Jefferson County, Pine Bluff |
Benton Unit (capacity 325) | off Highway 67 in Saline County, 5 miles (8 km) south of Benton |
Cummins Unit(capacity 1725) | off Highway 65 in Lincoln County, 28 miles (45 km) south of Pine Bluff |
Delta Regional Unit (capacity 599) | in Chicot County, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Pine Bluff |
East Arkansas Regional Unit (capacity 1432) | in Lee County, 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Forrest City |
Grimes Unit(capacity 1012) | off Highway 384 in Jackson County, 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Newport |
J. Aaron Hawkins Sr. Center (capacity 212) | off Highway 365 in Wrightsville, Pulaski County, 10 miles (16 km) south of Little Rock |
Maximum Security Unit (capacity 532) |
off Highway 15 in Jefferson County, 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Pine Bluff |
McPherson Unit(capacity 971) | off Highway 384 in Jackson County, 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Newport |
Mississippi County Work Release Center (capacity 121) | off Meadow Road in Mississippi County, 1 mile (2 km) west of Luxora |
North Central Unit (capacity 800) | in Calico Rock, Izard County |
Northwest Arkansas Work Release Center (capacity 100) | in Springdale, Washington County |
Ouachita River Unit(capacity 1782) | off Highway 67 South in Hot Spring County, 2 miles (3 km) south of Malvern |
Pine Bluff Unit (capacity 430) | off West 7th Street in Jefferson County, west of Pine Bluff |
Randall L. Williams Correctional Center (capacity 562) | West of Pine Bluff, off West 7th St., (Pine Bluff Complex) in Jefferson County |
Texarkana Regional Correction Center (capacity 128) | off East 5th Street in Texarkana, Miller County |
Tucker Unit(capacity 1126) | off Highway 15 in Tucker, Jefferson County, 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Pine Bluff |
Willis H. Sargent Training Academy | England, Arkansas |
Varner Unit(capacity 1714) | off Highway 65 in Varner, Lincoln County, 28 miles (45 km) south of Pine Bluff |
Wrightsville Unit(capacity 850) | off Highway 365 in Wrightsville, Pulaski County, 10 miles (16 km) south of Little Rock |
Gallery
-
Maximum Security Unit
-
TRCC Unit in Texarkana
Division of Community Corrections
The Division of Community Corrections (DCC) is the parole and community corrections state agency of Arkansas. ACC headquarters is located in North Little Rock.
Residential facilities
Facilities include:[44]
- Central Arkansas Community Corrections Center (Little Rock)
- Northeast Arkansas Community Corrections Center (Osceola)
- Northwest Arkansas Community Corrections Center (Fayetteville)
- East Central Arkansas Community Corrections Center (West Memphis)
- Southwest Arkansas Community Corrections Center (Texarkana)
- Omega SSC (Unincorporated Hot Spring County, near Malvern)
Education
See also
- List of Arkansas state agencies
- List of law enforcement agencies in Arkansas
- List of U.S. state prisons
- List of United States state correction agencies
- Charles Laverne Singleton
- Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal
- Arkansas Department of Human Services (operates juvenile correctional facilities)
Notes
- ^ The superintendent at Cummins was Dan D. Stephens.
References
- ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Fiscal Year 2022[1]
- ^ Staff of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (2022). "State of Arkansas Appropriation Summary" (PDF). 2022 Budget. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Fiscal Year 2022[3]
- ^ "Governors" (1995), p. 7.
- JSTOR 40037984.
- ^ "Unfolding Misconceptions: The Arkansas State Penitentiary, 1836-1986 | Office of Justice Programs".
- ^ Herndon, Dallas Tabor (1922). "The High Lights of Arkansas History".
- ISBN 978-1-60354-004-9
- ^ "Governors" (1995), p. 113.
- ^ a b c "Governors" (1995), p. 120.
- ^ "Governors" (1995), pp. 124–125.
- ^ a b "Prison History and Gallery Archived 2011-03-10 at the Wayback Machine." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on March 5, 2011.
- ^ "U.S. Prisons: Myth vs. Mayhem". TIME, May 5, 1980 essay by Frank Trippett on prison reform, quoting Murton, accessed September 13, 2006.
- LCCN 94-45806.
- )
- ^ "Cash" (2020), pp. 46–47.
- ^ "Cash" (2020), p. 47.
- ^ a b c Jackson, Bruce. Pictures from a Drawer: Prison and the Art of Portraiture. Trinity University Press.
- ^ "Hell In Arkansas". TIME. February 9, 1968. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2006.
- ^ a b Estrin, James (May 27, 2009). "Showcase: A Wide View of a Hellish World". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ^ a b Fowler, Glenn (October 19, 1990). "Thomas Murton, 62, a Penologist Who Advocated Reforms, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ Little Rock, Arkansas. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
In the 1960s, Tom Murton attempted to reform Cummins prison farm, but lost his job after unearthing three skeletons on the grounds.
- ISBN 0521777348. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ "Hutto v. Finney, 437 U.S. 678 (1978)". Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
- ISBN 9780718101107.
- ^ Woodward, Colin Edward (August 9, 2017). "Terrell Don Hutto (1935–)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ^ Choate, Laura (July 19, 2018). "Prison Reform". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Conway, Arkansas. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
{{cite encyclopedia}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Ex-Officials from Virginia on CCA Staff". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, VA. October 20, 1985. p. A-8. Retrieved November 21, 2020 – via NewsBank: America's News.
- ^ "Cities to answer state's want ad for new prison" (Archive). Associated Press, Courier News, July 31, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2015.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.
- ^ "Facilities Archived 2009-12-01 at the Wayback Machine." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on December 8, 2009. "Central Office Location: West of Pine Bluff on Princeton Pike Road in Jefferson Country"
- ^ a b c "2006 Facts Brochure" (). Arkansas Department of Correction. July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006. 26 (26/38). Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-0891-1.
- ^ a b "ADC to open state-of-the-art special needs facility." Arkansas Department of Correction. November 30, 2011. Retrieved on May 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "Guide for Family and Friends Archived August 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." (Archive) Arkansas Department of Correction. 6 . Retrieved on March 26, 2013.
- ^ "Training FAQ Archived 2015-12-07 at the Wayback Machine." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved on September 22, 2015. "The Willis H. Sargent Training Academy is located at 1500 NE 1st St, England, AR 72046. "
- ^ "State Capitol Week in Review." State of Arkansas. June 13, 2008. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "Executions are carried out in the Cummins Unit, which is adjacent to Varner."
- ^ Haddigan, Michael. "They Kill Women, Don't They?" Arkansas Times. April 9, 1999. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
- ^ "Death Row On The Move" (Archive). KAIT. August 26, 2003. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
- ^ a b Millar, Lindsey. "Arkansas's prison population continues to climb ." Arkansas Times. June 17, 2015. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
- ^ Millar, Lindsey. "Arkansas's prison population, and related expense, is exploding ." Arkansas Times. July 13, 2015. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
- ^ "Facilities". Arkansas Department of Correction. Archived from the original on 2013-07-08.
- Arkansas Department of Community Corrections. Retrieved on March 5, 2011.
- Arkansas Correctional School. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.