Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders proclaimed April 20th-24th Reentry Awareness Week. Governor Sanders stated, “With more than 90,000 adult offenders incarcerated or under supervision, Arkansas is committed to reducing recidivism through effective reentry programs that provide individuals opportunities for success in the community.”

The Arkansas Department of Corrections believes that reentry is not a specific program. It is a process that starts with those initially incarcerated and ends when they have been successfully reintegrated in the community.

Read the proclamation below:

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS COME – GREETINGS:

WHEREAS: Arkansas is committed to lowering recidivism through an effective reentry process that provides offenders with opportunities for success in the community; and

WHEREAS: Formerly incarcerated individuals can face obstacles long after their incarceration ends. By addressing barriers like employment, housing, and substance abuse, the Department of Corrections can prepare offenders for successful reentry and reduce the likelihood of repeat offenses; and

WHEREAS: Because high recidivism increases the cost of corrections and puts Arkansas citizens at a greater risk of becoming victims of crime, it is imperative that offenders returning to the community have the programs, services, and support they need to become productive, crime-free citizens of the state; and

WHEREAS: The State of Arkansas has made reentry a priority, by implementing a validated risk assessment tool for all incarcerated offenders and those on community supervision, and strengthening evidence-based programming options designed to reduce the likelihood of reoffending; and

WHEREAS: Governor Sanders and the Department of Corrections have partnered with state agencies and community support entities across the state to address known reentry barriers via the Recidivism Reduction Pilot Program, focusing on equipping incarcerated individuals with the skills, support, and credentials needed to successfully reenter the workforce and their communities; and

WHEREAS: Reentry provides offenders with the tools necessary to turn away from criminal behavior and embrace a better future where they are contributing to society and taking care of their families; and

WHEREAS: Communities across Arkansas can enhance public safety by supporting and joining reentry efforts that decrease the number of new crimes and offer hope for offenders returning home from incarceration; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim April 20th through April 24th, 2026, as

“REENTRY AWARENESS WEEK”

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 2nd day of April, in the year of our Lord 2026.