Beebe on prison report: ‘Not the be-all and end all’

Gov. Mike Beebe, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Hannah, state legislators, and a host of law enforcement, legal and corrections officials gathered at the capitol to reveal a new study aimed at reducing Arkansas’ prison population and costs.

“The Consensus Report of the Arkansas Working Group on Sentencing and Corrections” defined problems that have caused the prison population to spiral upwards and outlined recommendations. The working group was led by the Pew Center on the States, but also included members from all three branches of government and law enforcement officials.

 Members of the group included Sen. Ruth Whitaker, R-Cedarville, Sen.-elect Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, and Gary Grimes, the former Sebastian County Sheriff who now serves as Beebe’s liaison to law enforcement.

The report said that Arkansas’ prison population has doubled in the past 20 years, driving corrections costs up 450%. Currently, more than 16,000 inmates occupy state prisons.

"If left unchecked, the population will grow by as much as 43% in the next decade and cost Arkansas taxpayers an additional $1.1 billion," the report said.

Beebe said that the report is just a starting point for corrections and sentencing reforms.

"This is not the be-all and end-all," Beebe said in this report from Talk Business. "We don’t have legislation drafted."

He suggested it may be mid-session before flushed-out legislation may be introduced and called for additional input from parties that want to work on the reforms.

However, report authors said the policy packaged presented in the report could save the state $875 million “through averted prison construction and operating expenses” through 2020. The policies could also “improve public safety through reduced recidivism.”

The report outlined several potential changes to Arkansas’ criminal justice and corrections system, including:
• Improving supervision of offenders on probation and parole;
• Launching pilot programs that couple random drug testing with swift, certain sanctions;
• Holding offenders accountable by improving victim restitution and raising probation fees;
• Developing uniform eligibility criteria and performance measures for drug courts;
• Concentrating prison space on violent and career criminals;
• Revising drug and property statutes to distinguish between drug users and career criminals;
• Accelerating electronic monitoring for low-level offenders; and,
• Expanding medical parole for criminals with terminal illnesses.

Beebe stressed that while public safety would be crucial in moving forward with these proposals, monetary savings are also a key driver in pushing changes. He said if legislators or citizens want to wring more savings out of state government to pay for corrections costs, he’s open to being shown savings.

"This is the honest, laid-down truth," Beebe said. "If you want to save $100 million with waste or abuse, show it to me and we’ll save it."

"The power to incarcerate is the most expensive weapon in a judge’s arsenal," said Chief Justice Hannah, but he added that jail time is not always the best alternative or the most cost effective tool.

"We can do better and we must do better," Hannah added.