The Office of the Secretary is comprised of employees responsible for supporting the Secretary in the administration of the various duties of the Department pursuant to law and Board of Corrections’ policy.

Secretary Solomon Graves

Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-43-403 establishes the Secretary of Corrections as the executive head of the Department of Corrections. In this role, the Secretary may perform all duties to administer the Department of Corrections, subject to Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 33. 

Governor Asa Hutchinson nominated Solomon Graves to be Secretary on July 23, 2020. The Board of Corrections appointed Mr. Graves the following week. Mr. Graves began serving as Secretary on August 1, 2020.

Secretary Graves began his service to the Department of Corrections in 2006 at the Division of Community Correction. In 2007, he accepted a role at the Arkansas Parole Board where he served until 2016, including five years as Parole Board Administrator.

In March 2016, Mr. Graves was named Public Information Officer for the Division of Correction. In July 2019, then-Secretary Wendy Kelley selected Mr. Graves to be her Chief of Staff. He served in that role until Ms. Kelley’s retirement at which time he succeeded her as Secretary.

Secretary Graves earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University.

The Office of the Secretary

Lindsay Wallace, Chief of Staff
Lindsay.Wallace@arkansas.gov
(501) 682-3309 

Christine Cryer, Chief Legal Counsel
Christine.Cryer@arkansas.gov
(870) 267-6371 (Pine Bluff)
(501) 682-3309 (North Little Rock)

Lamont Wimbley, AGM, Chief Fiscal Officer
LamontWimbley@arkansas.gov
(870) 850-8719

Cindy Murphy, CPM, Communications Director
Cindy.Murphy@arkansas.gov
(870) 267-6205 (Pine Bluff)
(501) 682-5191 (North Little Rock)

Nicholas C. Stewart, Human Resources and Training Administrator
Nicholas.Stewart2@arkansas.gov
(501) 682-3309

Tabrina M. Bratton, PhD, Quality Improvement and Program Evaluation Administrator
Tabrina.Bratton@arkansas.gov
(501) 682-3309

• Evaluate department programs and services
• Design and conduct applied research
• Oversee UALR doctoral residents

The Arkansas Department of Corrections is comprised of over 4,000 dedicated employees within the following:

• The Division of Correction (formerly the Arkansas Department of Correction)
  • Dexter Payne, Director
• The Division of Community Correction (formerly Arkansas Department of Community Correction)
  • Jerry Bradshaw, Director
• Arkansas Correctional School District
  • Dr. Bill Glover, Director and Superintendent
• The Office of the Criminal Detention Facility Review Coordinator
  • Sterling Penix, Coordinator
• The Parole Board
  • John Felts, Chairman
• The Sentencing Commission
  • Tawnie Rowell, Director