UNCOVERING THE TRUTH: THE ARKANSAS PAROLE SYSTEM EXPOSED

At the Arkansas Restorative Initiative, our mission is clear: restore justice, promote rehabilitation, and empower survivors and communities. But what we have uncovered about the Arkansas Parole System through months of meticulous research and data analysis is nothing short of shocking. It’s a web of systemic bias, racial disparities, and policies that set up offenders to fail.

THE PROMISE: What the System Claims to Do

The Arkansas Parole Board utilizes the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) to guide parole decisions. The ORAS model is intended to be a data-driven, objective tool, evaluating offenders based on their individual risk levels, offense types, and rehabilitative progress. The system promises fairness, transparency, and second chances.

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THE REALITY: What We Found : "C:\Users\cdch9\Downloads\PPSR360-20785742-1-1nexp.pdf"

Racial Disparities in Parole Decisions:

  • Caucasian offenders often receive lenient outcomes, like Transfer Rescinded, allowing them quicker paths to parole.

  • Hispanic and Black offenders, on the other hand, are repeatedly denied parole, often receiving 1-year and 2-year deferrals for similar offenses and identical risk levels.

  • In clemency decisions, Black offenders disproportionately receive Board without Merit outcomes, effectively blocking opportunities for redemption.

Rehabilitation Programs: Opportunities Denied

  • The Passed Out Of Class outcome, awarded for program completion, is a key to early parole. However, access to these programs is not equally distributed. Minority offenders face significant barriers, reducing their chances to demonstrate progress and readiness for release.

  • Many offenders report unexplained delays, denied program entry, and bureaucratic errors that prevent them from completing the programs necessary for parole eligibility.

The Myth of Individualized Risk Management:

  • While the ORAS model is designed to provide personalized risk assessments, the data shows uniform outcomes applied regardless of actual risk level or individual progress.

  • Instead of dynamic evaluations, parole decisions often default to “Prior (Hearing) Action Stands”, ignoring behavioral improvements, program completion, and rehabilitation milestones.

Barriers to Reentry and Work Release Programs:

  • Stories from families reveal a system rigged against success. Offenders who secure work release opportunities are arbitrarily transferred back to higher-security units without clear explanations, cutting them off from jobs, education, and family support.

  • A simple administrative mistake, such as a warrant confusion or public defender oversight, can derail an offender’s progress for months or even years.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

Every injustice within the Arkansas Parole System is about real people, real families, and real futures being stolen. The current practices are not just flawed. They are designed to maintain the status quo, keeping vulnerable communities oppressed and ensuring recidivism remains high.