ORCU Softball Team Competes in ‘Relay for Life’ Tournament
Congratulations to the Ouachita River Correctional Unit (ORCU) Softball Team for finishing in the number one spot in the Hot Spring County Relay for Life Co-Ed Softball Tournament! Proceeds from the tournament, held on Saturday, May 4, 2019, go towards the local efforts of the American Cancer Society.
ADC North Central Unit Featured in Northcentral Arkansas 2019 Visitors Guide
From the 2019 Visitors Guide to Northcentral Arkansas, published by the White River Current on May 3, 2019
ADC NORTH CENTRAL UNIT, A TRUE COMMUNITY PARTNER
The North Central Unit (NCU) of the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) is one of 18 units across the state. Situated on 700 acres just northwest of Calico Rock, the NCU began operation in 1990 and continues to represent the ADC as one of its best in providing a safe and secure facility. With a staff numbering over 200, the NCU is one of the area’s largest employers.
In addition to excellent security, the Unit also provides inmate residents with on-site services including medical, dental, and mental health care, as well as an education. With over 800 residents currently incarcerated, the many programs and services offered contribute to the development of a strong work ethic to better prepare the inmates for successful re-entry into society upon release.
The facility is in its fourth year of offering a formal re-entry program called Think Legacy, which was specifically designed to prepare inmates within one year of release by providing the tools and skills needed for success. The program includes a variety of trainings ranging from job search skills, decision making and basic banking skills. Inmates also complete a victim impact course which enables them to understand how their crimes affect the victim.
Many of the programs could not be offered without the dedicated involvement of volunteers from the community who donate their time to train and provide support to the inmate population.
The NCU also serves as the primary training ground for the ADC equine program which raises and trains horses for use across the state by the ADC. In addition, the Unit participates in the Paws In Prison program where rescue and surrender dogs are brought in from local animal shelters and assigned to an inmate for socialization and obedience training before being adopted out as loving pets to area residents.
In the ongoing effort to support local communities, the Unit’s Regional Maintenance inmate work crews provide an average of between 8,000 to 10,000 man hours per month of free labor to counties and municipalities working on beautification projects, cemetery and city park clean-up, and work along state and county roads.
CLICK HERE (or the image) to view the feature on NCU, as well as the rest of the 2019 Visitors Guide to Northcentral Arkansas!
Phenomenal Women Conference 2019 Held at Admin East
This year’s Phenomenal Woman Conference – a day set aside to celebrate the remarkable women that are employed with the state – was hosted at the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) Administrative Annex East in Pine Bluff on May 2, 2019. The conference featured sessions that were informative, empowering, and fun! Participation for the event was limited to 30 women employed with the ADC, Arkansas Community Corrections and the Arkansas Parole Board.
Guest speakers for the conference included ADC Director Wendy Kelley, Fred Campbell, Dr. Otis Gordon, as well as the event coordinators Ardella Bearden and Delilah Ingram. A “Real Talk” panel featuring DeAngelo Earl, Theresa Bearden, Jennifer Stewart, and Kelly Knuckles was a popular session.
All of the participants were recipients of door prizes and enjoyed lunch from several different food trucks that were onsite for the event. Some of the Arkansas’ finest even came out and served dessert to the ladies!
Recipients of the “Remembering Your Spirit Award” were Verna Barnes with Maximum Security Unit and Gail Stith with the Wrightsville Unit.
Several vendors attended the event including: J. Mitchell’s Boutique, The Bling Junkie, Selfie Me Photo Booth with Alpha Fraternity, and Sassy Fit Divas Workout Studio.
Closing out the conference was a flash mob dance ending with Ardella Bearden, who served as the conference coordinator for the past decade, ‘passing the torch’ to Delilah Ingram, who will serve as the new host for the Phenomenal Woman Conference 2020!
National Park Service Purchases ADC Horses
In mid-April, the National Park Service purchased two quarter horses from the ADC to revitalize Buffalo National River’s mounted patrol program in the Steel Creek area. The horses, named Nacho and Cinco, have undergone several years of routine training and active service at the North Central Unit. They worked specifically on squads and regional maintenance at the Calico Rock facility. Horse Program Manager Tom Green transported the new horses to Steel Creek and facilitated a three-day training on equine care, barn management and horsemanship for Buffalo National River personnel.
ORCU Hosts Blood Drive
The Ouachita River Correctional Unit hosted a blood drive on April 29, 2019. Several staff members who hopped aboard the Arkansas Blood Institute’s Blood Mobile to donate life-saving blood included:
[LEFT] Tijuana Richardson
[RIGHT] Joi Harris
[LEFT] Natasha Adams
[RIGHT] Sergeant Karla Clark
“Wrightsville 21” Memorial Dedicated
A memorial dedication ceremony recognizing the “Wrightsville 21” was held on the grounds of the Wrightsville Unit on April 25, 2019. The unit sits on the site of the former “Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School,” where, in 1959, 21 African-American boys were killed in a dormitory fire. The inmate council at the unit originally came up with the idea for a memorial and they, along with the Wrightsville Employee Corporation, donated most of the money spent to construct the permanent marker.
The inscription on the monument reads, “But Jesus said…”Let the Little Children Come to Me, Do Not Hinder Them for Such Belongs the Kingdom of Heaven,” along with the names of the 21 who lost their lives:
| Frank Barnes | R.D. Brown | Jessie Carpenter Jr. |
| Joe Charles Crittenden | Lindsey Cross | Henry Daniels |
| John Daniel | John Alfred George | Amos Gyce |
| Roy Hegwood | Willie C. Horner | O.T. Meadows |
| Willie Piggee | Roy Chester Powell | Cecil Preston |
| Charles L. Thomas | Carl E. Thornton | Johnnie Tillison |
| Edward Tolston | Charles White | Willie Lee Williams |
Harding University Group Visits Grimes Unit
On April 25, 2019, the Grimes Unit hosted a group of students from Harding University who are completing an internship with Likewise Inc. as part of an entrepreneurship and innovation course. The goal of Likewise College is to provide an opportunity to break the cycle of recidivism. Jeff Kreh, PhD leads the program, which currently provides college level courses to inmates housed at the Tucker and Grimes Units. The three Harding students who joined Dr. Kreh for the class were referred by their instructor to attend. They were fascinated at the depth of sincere study exhibited by the Grimes Unit students!
LEFT PHOTO: Dr. Jeff Kreh of Harding University leads the Likewise College program.
RIGHT PHOTO: Senior Chaplain Tom Bradshaw (left) is pictured with Harding students
Kaitlin Brown, Lauren Burcham, and Parker Samuel.
Criminal Justice Students Visit Academy
On April 23, 2019, sixteen Criminal Justice students from the Southeast Arkansas Community-Based Education Center (SEACBEC) located in Warren toured the ADC Training Academy in England. The students and teachers received a lot of good information about the correctional side of the field. Students were given a tour of the facility, got to sit in on three different classes and were introduced to several key staff members who were present for training. While some of the students are interested in becoming police officers and dispatchers, some are even interested in following a career path in corrections!
Newport High School Seniors Tour Grimes Unit
A group of senior students from Newport High School toured the Grimes Unit on April 11, 2019 and learned about the career options that the Arkansas Department of Correction has to offer!
Warden Gary Musselwhite addressed the group as HR Manager Crystal Runsick, Emergency Preparedness Lieutenant Richard Lee, and other other security officers looked on.
