The Arkansas Legislative Recidivism Reduction Task Force was created by the Protect Arkansas Act (Section 250 of Act 659 of 2023) to study and recommend improvements to the criminal justice outcomes in the State of Arkansas.
The Task Force, working with the support of the Counsel of State Governments Justice Center, was charged with the following duties:
- Conduct a comprehensive data analysis to identify the drivers of Arkansas’s high recidivism rates;
- Examine the effectiveness of current supervision practices and responses to technical violations of supervision;
- Identify unnecessary barriers to successful reentry into society;
- Determine gaps in behavioral health treatment, workforce training, and other services for people on supervision and reentering society from incarceration;
- Use data to identify how recidivism contributes to overall crime and incarceration rates; and
- Develop data-driven recommendations for reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for people on supervision and reentering society from incarceration.
The final report of the Task Force’s findings and recommendations was completed on December 16, 2024.
Task Force Appointments:
| Appointee | Appointment Type | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Judge Melissa Richardson | Circuit Judge | Chief Justice |
| Tommy Sturgeon, Ashley County | County Sheriff | Governor |
| Tammy Harris | Representative of the Public Defender Commission | Governor |
| Tabatha Branch | Public Defender | Governor |
| Dan Shue – 12th Judicial District | Prosecuting Attorney | Governor |
| CLEST Director Chris Chapmond | Member of the Executive Board of Chiefs of Police | Governor |
| Elizabeth Pulley | Victim of Crime or Advocate | Governor |
| Kim Clifton | Community member affected by crime | Governor |
| Scott McLean (Pathway to Freedom) | At-large | Governor |
| Jerry Riley (former Post-Prison Transfer Board) | At-large | Governor |
| Ben Gilmore – CHAIRMAN | Senator | Senate Pro Tempre |
| Clarke Tucker | Senator | Senate Pro Tempre |
| Carol Dalby | House Representative | Speaker of the House |
| Jimmy Gazaway | House Representative | Speaker of the House |
| Chairman Benny Magness | Chair of the Board of Corrections | Corrections |
| Chairwoman Lona McCastlain | Chair of the Post-Prison Transfer Board | Corrections |
| Secretary Lindsay Wallace | Secretary of Corrections | Corrections |
| Director Jim Cheek | Director of Community Corrections | Corrections |
| Tim Griffin | Attorney General | Constitutional Officer |
Staff contact: Toni Hamp – Arkansas Sentencing Commission | [email protected] | (501) 682-5001
Task Force Meeting Minutes
- 10.24.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 09.16.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 08.21.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 06.24.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 04.22.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 03.11.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 02.12.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 01.22.2024 – Meeting Minutes
- 11.13.2023 – Meeting Minutes
- 10.16.2023 – Meeting Minutes
- 08.28.2023 – Organizational Meeting Minutes
Task Force Agendas
- 12.16.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 10.24.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 09.16.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 08.21.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 06.24.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 04.22.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 03.11.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 02.12.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 01.22.2024 – Task Force Agenda
- 11.13.2023 – Task Force Agenda
- 08.28.2023 – Task Force Agenda
Task Force Presentations and Handouts
- The Council of State Governments Presentation to Task Force – 10.24.2024
- The Council of State Governments Presentation – 09.16.2024
- Statewide Data Efforts for Recidivism Reduction – 08.21.2024
- Ester Unit’s Release Program: A brief review – 03.11.2024
- The Council of State Governments Presentation – 03.11.2024
- DOC Handout – Recidivism in Arkansas 2018 Release Cohort – 01.22.2024
- Task Force Presentation – 11.13.2023