State out to boost parolees’ oversight

Program’s focus is violent crime

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that he is expanding the supervision of high-risk parolees in Central Arkansas in an effort to help curb the increase in violent crime.

The Republican governor announced during his weekly news briefing plans to expand the state’s Intensive Supervision Program, which is part of the Division of Community Corrections. Hutchinson said the expansion will involve adding 10 officers who will cover Lonoke, Jefferson, Pulaski, Faulkner and Saline counties.

Cindy Murphy, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said the program’s officers intensely supervise high-risk and gang-affiliated offenders. Currently the program has four officers and a caseload of 120 offenders, she said.

“This expansion will allow us to add two more additional officers to Pulaski County, bringing the total to six, and add two officers to the other counties,” Murphy said.

The Division of Community Correction reinstated the supervision program in 2017 after an early morning shooting at Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock that left more than two dozen people injured.

Murphy said the program had 54 arrests in fiscal year 2021 and confiscated 28 weapons and $81,000 in cash.

Hutchinson said he believes the expansion will make a difference.

“You might ask yourself as to whether that is enough. Please understand we have an additional 70 parole officers just here in Pulaski County who are doing routine parole services,” he said. “…We are going to find some violators, and if those violations involve guns then their parole will be revoked and they will go back to prison.

“That is the design of this, and that is a critical

element of it.”

Solomon Graves, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said effective community correctional programming requires two things.

“First is evidence-based rehabilitative programming, which we are committed to and which we will continue to be committed to,” Graves said “But that effective supervision of offenders on parole and probation also requires that the state has adequate resources to provide for strict compliance with conditions of supervision.”

Graves said there is a segment of the parole and probation population that is high risk and has demonstrated a history of violence and gang affiliation.

“They need a closer level of contact by our officers,” Graves said, “This ISP program will do that not just in Pulaski County, but in our communities that border our larger metropolitan areas.”

The program will cost $1,091,585 to start the expansion, and will have an ongoing cost of $820,395 a year. Both costs will need approval from the General Assembly.

“This will take multiple steps to have approval from the General Assembly, from the assignment of positions to the approval of the funding for these,” Hutchinson said. “We know that they share concern about violent crime in Arkansas, and I am hopeful they will be supportive of this.”

Hutchinson said he will wait and see if the measure is brought before Legislative Council by next week.

“If we can I would love to, but from my standpoint I am signing off on it,” he said. “I am putting it front of the legislators, and soon as they can consider it that will be terrific.”

The governor said funding will come from the restricted reserve or rainy day funds.

This announcement came a day after Little Rock officials gathered for a forum to address the city’s increase in violent crime. The forum was part of a series of talks aimed at reaching out to the community amid an escalation of homicides.

The Little Rock Board of Directors in February declared gun violence as a “public health emergency.” The public health emergency called for increasing strategic and targeted police patrols, lifting limits on overtime for police and finding social workers to help address community violence, according to the resolution.

As of April 4, Little Rock Police had investigated 17 homicide deaths in the city this year, four more than at this time last year, according to statistics released by the city. That translates to a 31% increase in the city’s homicide rate from that time frame in 2021 to 2022. The city’s murder rate is 35% greater than the five-year average of 12.6 as of April 4.

Little Rock had 64 homicides in 2021, compared with 55 the previous year, Police Chief Keith Humphrey said Dec. 30. Humphrey has said Little Rock’s increase in violent crime is part of a national trend that other cities are also working to address.

Overall, violent crime in the city was up 10% April 4 from that time a year before, and 27% greater than the fiveyear average.

Humphrey has expressed frustration in the past with the number of people who have previous felony convictions and re-offend while out on bail or parole. He also has said repeatedly that his department is pursuing federal charges for violent criminals. Federal charges require those who are convicted to serve longer sentences — around 85% to 90% — before they are eligible for parole.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said he believes Hutchinson’s plan will make an immediate difference on violent crime within the city.

“Like all of us, Gov. Hutchinson recognizes it will take a collaborative, strategic and ongoing response to reduce crime,” Scott said in a written statement. “Responding to this nationwide increase in violent crime requires solutions from all levels of government.”

Hutchinson was asked if there is anything the state can do to address crime issues with immediacy, since the program expansion must go through the legislative process. The governor said the state is already addressing it with its routine responsibilities and by accelerating its engagement and support of local law enforcement.

“Ultimately, this is the responsibility of our city officials and our city law enforcement,” Hutchinson said. “That is the way that it has always been.

“The state supports them and, of course, we have the responsibility with parolees, so it’s a partnership. We will do anything that we can, and as urgently as we can, because it’s not just a local problem, it’s a national problem, but this has been on my mind.”

Hutchinson also addressed releasing first-time violent offenders on bail.

“Whenever you are looking at first-time offenders in a violent crime, the next question is: Are they held in custody pending trial?” Hutchinson said. “Do they pose a continued risk to our community or are they released? These are decisions that are made by judges, and these are decisions made by prosecutors.”

Hutchinson specifically mentioned the March 19 shooting during a community car show in Dumas. The show was a part of an annual community picnic, which is part of a weekend-long event that raises money for school supplies and scholarships.

Brandon D. Knight, 22, was arrested in connection with the shootout that left one person dead and 26 wounded. Knight was given a $100,000 bond, which Hutchinson said caught his attention since the suspect was able to bond out.

“I don’t understand that, quite frankly, when you are looking at that type of violence, that type of activity, and that this compels, in my judgment, someone to be held in custody if they pose a continued risk. So I want to learn more about that,” Hutchinson said, mentioning that he plans to speak to the prosecutor. “We have to make sure we coordinate with our prosecutors and judges, and I will be meeting with some of the prosecutors and having discussions with them.”

Hutchinson said prosecutors and judges have spoken previously about not having enough room in county jails because the facilities are backed up with an overflow of state prisoners, so they can’t revoke probation or hold suspect pending trial despite a violent offense.

That, he said, is why he has tasked Graves with relieving the burden that is being placed county jails.

“Today I understand from Secretary Graves that in Pulaski County there are no state prisoners backed up,” Hutchinson said. “That varies from day to day, but we are moving them out to state custody so we can have room in our county facilities in the event the prosecutor and judge recommend no bail, or they are a violent offender and they need to be kept in custody.”