View the Listing of All Inmate Programs and Services
GED
| Description: | GED classes are offered at all units and the Board of Corrections mandates attendance for all inmates without a GED or high school diploma unless they are unable to participate due to health reasons. Arkansas is transitioning to computer-based testing (CBT) for the GED test. The Correctional Education Association (CEA) accredits schools at the (11) units large enough to have a principal. The American Correctional Association recognizes and accepts the CEA accreditation in concert with ACA accreditation. All ADC schools have computer labs and incorporate computer-based instruction into the adult education curriculum. The Arkansas Department of Education licenses all instructors, and all have had additional training in adult education. The Arkansas Correctional School District (ACSD) provides education services to all populations within the ADC, including mental health, maximum security, and administrative segregation. In addition, the schools utilize technology, such as Smart Boards, in classroom instruction. |
Habilitation Program
| Description: | A 12-month residential program that provides housing, work supervision and treatment for the cognitively impaired/challenged inmates with basic living quarters including a protected and structured environment for the inmates. Coping skills are taught for transition back into the general population, while referrals to appropriate community resources are made upon release. |
| Capacity: | Bed space for up to 47 inmates at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit |
| Requirements: | Diagnosis of intellectual disability and/or borderline intellectual functioning in conjunction with deficits in adaptive functioning. |
| Staff: | Mental Health |
| Program Components: | Screening and assessment including intellectual functioning, adaptive qualities, and skills assessment, counseling/training in daily living skills, work programs (on unit) |
HIV & TB Programs
| Description: | Prevention, tracking, case management, counseling, treatment review, research, and quality assurance for Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and Tuberculosis Bacilli Infections. |
| Capacity: | Involves all staff and inmates to varying degrees. (See requirements below) |
| Impact: | System wide |
| Requirements: | TB: Pre and post test annually for both inmates and staff. HIV: Open to all: Training for staff, screening for inmates. |
| Staff: | Medical Staff |
| Subcomponents: | Tuberculosis screening and education for all new employees and new commitments, tuberculosis screening for new employees, counseling inmates testing positive for HIV, monitoring medication delivery and compliance of inmates being treated prophylactically for tuberculosis and monitoring chest clinic for inmates being treated for active disease. |
Hobby Craft Program
| Description: | Inmates are able to produce leather goods, wooden crafts and cloth artifacts. Artwork can be sold or given as gifts to family and friends. Provides training in the art and skill of design. |
| Capacity: | Approximately: – Cummins Unit: 112 – Randall L. Williams Unit: 65 – Pine Bluff Unit: 35 – Wrightsville Unit: 39 – North Central Unit: 70 – Tucker Unit: 80 – East Arkansas Regional Unit: 35 – Delta Regional Unit: 74 – Varner Unit: 100 – McPherson Unit: 51 |
| Impact: | System wide |
| Requirements: | Class I classification status, approval of unit administration and availability |
| Staff: | Unit Hobby Craft Staff |
| Subprograms: | Leather craft, string art and macramé, oil and watercolor painting, drawing, stuffed animals, wood working and more |
Industry
| Description: | Production of industrial products and follow-up services are provided for the public, tax supported and non-profit agencies. |
| Capacity: | Approximately 245 inmates annually |
| Requirements: | Completion of 60 day initial job assignment and assignment by classification committee |
| Staff: | ACI personnel |
| Subprograms: | Furniture manufacturing, powder coating, engraving, recreation equipment, vinyl products, furniture refurbishing, metal fabrication, garment and case goods, graphic arts and printing, vehicle and equipment refurbishing, silk-screening signs, upholstery, janitorial products (liquid and powder), custom metal signs, wire harnesses and more |
| Comments: | Inmates develop a work ethic while at the same time learning a marketable skill for when they get out. ACI Certificates of Achievement are given upon completion of mastering specific job skills in specific areas. |
Inmate Councils
| Description: | Some ADC units have an Inmate Council for inmates. Information is available at each unit for inmates who are interested. |
| Capacity: | Available at the Warden’s discretion |
Inmate Panel
| Description: | Inmates who have good insight into their path to trouble and who are willing to share their experiences with groups of children, adolescents and adults. |
| Capacity: | Limited to certain units, about 20 inmates. |
| Impact: | Hundreds of free-world individuals, usually school and church groups. |
| Requirements: | Participating inmates selected by staff approved by Warden, approval of requesting church, school, etc., availability of transport, availability of security escorts. |
| Staff: | Available staff: i.e., Treatment Coordinator, SATP staff, and security assist. |
| Comments: | Dynamic presentations have been given, both to groups visiting the ADC facilities and outside that have received praise from educators, pastors, mental health professionals and parents. Presentations also influence the inmates to walk the walk or follow their own advice. |
Library
| Description: | Provides access for expanding knowledge and self-improvement via collections of reference materials and periodicals involving various media, i.e., hard cover, paper and electronic. |
| Capacity: | Open to eligible inmates |
| Impact: | All units except work-release |
| Requirements: | Not on lockdown status |
| Staff: | ADC Librarian and Library Technicians |
| Comments: | Administration segregated inmates have access to educational materials via library cart. |
Medical Services
| Description: | Provide routine medical, specialized clinics and dental services, including both patient education and rehabilitative services. |
| Capacity: | Open to all inmates |
| Impact: | ADC System wide |
| Requirements: | Meet protocol for treatment, urgency of need |
| Staff: | Medical and dental contract staff, ADC administrative and security staff |
| Sub-clinics: | Ambulatory and inpatient surgery, renal dialysis, neurology/neurosurgery, dermatology, ENT/audiology, optometry/ophthalmology, infectious disease; HIV, TB, STD, prosthetics/orthotics, physical therapy/rehabilitation service, spinal cord program, chronic care clinics, chemotherapy and more |
Mental Health Services
| Description: | Provides services to mentally ill and/or intellectually disabled inmates to include: residential programs, case management services, medication management, individual and self-study/group services. Also crisis prevention/intervention services are provided to all inmates system wide. | |
| Capacity: | Open to all inmates as deemed appropriate | |
| Impact: | System wide for inmates incarcerated | |
| Staff: | Mental Health | |
| Subcomponents: | •Case Management •Self-Study/Group Services: Anger Management, Communication Skills, Domestic Violence (Perpetrators)Parenting Skills, Stress Management, Substance Abuse Education (SAE), Thinking Errors, Victims of Domestic Violence •Habilitation Program •Individual Counseling (limited utilization) •Mental Health Residential Programs | |
| Comments: | Services are also offered to the inmate population to address anger control, criminal behavior and criminal thinking in an effort to reduce recidivism and decrease criminal behavior. | |
Mental Health Residential Programs
| Description: | Residential treatment programs for mentally ill inmates in the ADC. These programs are utilized to evaluate, stabilize and return inmates to general population. |
| Capacity: | Bed space for 128 males at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit and 40 females at the McPherson Unit |
| Impact: | System wide |
| Requirements: | Referral by psychiatric providers and/or psychologists |
| Staff: | Mental Health Services |
| Subcomponents: | • Mental Health Assessment Evaluations • Medication Management/Training • Group Counseling • Psycho-Educational Groups • Case Management • Transition and/or Release Planning and Referral |
| Comments: | The main focus of these programs is to address the needs of the SMI inmate population who cannot function adequately in the general population. |
Pathway to Freedom, Inc.
| Description: | Pathway to Freedom, Inc. is a non-profit, faith-based, holistic service program that provides educational, values-based, pre-release services to male inmates who are within 18 months of their projected release date. Participation is voluntary, and helps prepare inmates for their reintegration into society. Participants receive training and mentor support which promotes them becoming productive citizens through the use of new and improved pro-social and life skills that will enhance their family and social relationships, moral and spiritual development, and employment opportunities. |
| Capacity: | 200-bed capacity at the Wrightsville Unit |
| Requirements: | • Completion of admission application • Within 18 months of release date when beginning program • Have no uncompleted sex offender treatment programs • Have no enemies at the Wrightsville Hawkins Unit • Minimum/medium security classification • Class I or II status • Not housed in restrictive housing or protective custody • Have no escape history • Willing and able to meet program expectations • Willing to continue program for additional 12 months after release |
| Staff: | Pathway to Freedom Staff and Trained Citizen Volunteers |
Paws in Prison
| Description: | Selected inmates have the opportunity to become trainers of rescue dogs in the Paws in Prison program. Inmate trainers work with the dogs on proper socialization and basic obedience skills in order to improve their chances of adoption. |
| Capacity: | Capacity varies by unit. |
| Impact: | J. Aaron Hawkins Center, McPherson Unit, Ouachita River Unit, North Central Unit, Randall L. Williams Unit, Tucker Unit, Larry B. Norris Unit (formerly Maximum Security Unit) |
| Requirements: | Eligibility requirements for inmate trainers are based, in part, on interest, training, attitude, length of sentence, criminal history (at a minimum no convictions for animal cruelty or abuse), institutional behavior/adjustment, and the inmate’s overall ability to assist in the care and training of a dog. Inmates considered for Paws in Prison must be housed at participating units. |
| Staff: | Paws in Prison Staff and Volunteers |
Preparing for Success
| Description: | Attempts to ease the transition of inmates into the community and enhances the probability of their success through proper preparation for a successful return to the community. |
| Capacity: | Approximately 720 in a calendar year |
| Impact: | Tucker Unit, Delta Regional Unit, Wrightsville Unit, North Central Unit |
| Requirements: | Inmate must be within 120 days of release and appropriate security status classification |
| Staff: | Unit pre-release counselors |
| Subprograms: | Employment Preparation, Financial Planning, Communication Skill, Acceptance of Parole/Post-Release Supervision, Substance Abuse Education, Anger Management, Counseling |
Principles and Applications For Life (PAL Program)
| Description: | The PAL Program (Principles and Applications for Life) includes worship services, religious materials, and counseling services, to all inmates within the ADC, by community involvement of outside representation. The PAL (Principles & Application for Life) program operates at all ADC facilities except for the Work Release Centers and offers a residential program. PAL covers Principles for Daily Living, Character Qualities, Commands to Live By, Uprooting Anger and other curriculum designed to incorporate abiding change into how to approach everyday decisions and life, financial affairs, becoming a leader/servant in your home, community, church, parenting, etc. |
| Capacity: | Open |
| Requirements: | Appropriate behavior and conduct |
| Staff: | ADC Religious Staff and Volunteers |
