I have been the Arkansas State Director for Right On Crime for a little over a year now. In that time, I’ve found reentry to be not only one of my biggest interests, but one of the greatest opportunities for our state. Over the last few months, I have been on a tour around Central Arkansas visiting various private and faith based-reentry programs to see all the different approaches taken to reentry programming. While I have visited several private facilities and one post-prison reentry facility, I had yet to visit a reentry program taking place in a detention facility… until recently.
I was able to sit down with Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins, who took over as the Sheriff in 2019 in the most populous county in Arkansas. Consequently, Sheriff Higgins oversees one of the largest jails in Arkansas with a population of more than 1,200 inmates at any given time. To handle such a facility while keeping our communities safe, he must be innovative. Among Sheriff Higgins’ many solutions, his approach to reentry is what I found most fascinating.
Reentry programming is critical in reducing recidivism. With the right programs in place, the results are simple: less crime, fewer victims, and safer communities.
Pulaski County’s reentry program currently has two full time staff members. These civilian staff members coordinate programming and administration. Grant money is critical to keeping the program running and without it, there likely would be no program at all. Unfortunately, these conditions seem to be the standard — there is a constant need for more staff and resources.
The Pulaski County reentry program offers services to both men and women, with several weeks of courses designed to prepare detainees for a successful return to society, with the hope that they never come back. Their program includes courses on identifying problems, identifying unhealthy relationships, behaviors, and so much more. I had the opportunity to attend both a women’s and a men’s class.
The women’s featured instruction by other women who understand first-hand the struggles that the detainees have gone through and what led to their incarceration in the first place. The men’s course featured instruction on how to apply for insurance, what types of insurance you might need once back out, and what kind of treatments might be available with certain insurance — practical needs for life outside the walls. Courses span several weeks and last up to four hours a day, with the focus and structure providing tangible benefits that serve their rehabilitation.
Classroom style instruction is not the only thing offered as part of the programming.
Pulaski County is the only jail in the state that is offering courses in welding and other vocational education, including its own machines on site to be able to offer welding instruction. The ability to find and perform good work is critical in the reentry process. Without it, an individual’s chance of reoffending goes up dramatically.
Pulaski County is innovating in several ways. Not only are they offering these vital reentry services, but they are also ensuring their success continues on the outside. Because of the skills individuals have learned in the facility, once out, they go on to become HVAC techs, welders, and more. This full circle helps to ensure they do not return to a life of crime or incarceration.
The recidivism rates of those leaving the Pulaski County program remain exceptionally low. It goes to show that when one is given the tools they need to succeed, they generally do.
Reentry programs like that in Pulaski County do more than just increase public safety. When someone is immediately placed into a reentry program upon arrival to their detention, the financial burden on a taxpayer is significantly less. When fewer people reoffend, fewer people are incarcerated, and less money is spent by the American people. With less money spent on housing inmates, the greater the ability to allocate those resources to other issues that impact public safety.
Reentry programs continue to prove that throwing more money towards incarceration does not make us safer — but tailored solutions that set offenders up for success after their release make our communities stronger, and the justice system more effective.