First: do not ignore it. The longer you wait, the fewer options you usually have.
- 1. Contact your lawyer or public defender as soon as possible. Tell them exactly what happened (transportation, illness, wrong date, etc.).
- 2. If you don’t have a lawyer, call the clerk’s office for the court where you were supposed to appear. Ask if a failure-to-appear has been issued and what your options are.
- 3. Gather proof of what went wrong (bus breakdown, ER visit, work schedule, etc.) and keep it together in one place.
- 4. Keep showing you’re trying keep working, going to meetings, and staying reachable. If an ARI advocate is helping you, share the details with them too.
This is not legal advice. Every case is different. Get guidance from a licensed attorney in your county whenever you can.
Do not hide. Most officers read “no contact” as “no effort.”
- 1. Reach out to your officer (or their office) as soon as it’s safe. Be honest and calm about what happened.
- 2. Offer a plan, not just an excuse. Example: “My ride fell through. I can be there tomorrow at 9 AM and I’ve lined up backup transportation.”
- 3. Gather proof if you have it (screenshots, bus issues, work note, etc.).
- 4. Keep doing the right things stay clean, go to meetings, work if you can. If they look at your pattern, you want it to show effort, not giving up.
If you feel unsafe contacting your officer alone, consider calling your attorney or a trusted advocate to help you plan that conversation.
A slip does not erase your whole story. The question is what you do next.
- 1. Get through the next 24 hours as safely as possible. Reach out to a sponsor, recovery friend, or crisis line if you’re in danger of spiraling.
- 2. If you’re on supervision, talk with a lawyer when possible about how to communicate with your PO or the court.
- 3. Add more support, not more shame. Extra meetings, counseling, peer support, or treatment can all be part of a response plan.
- 4. Write down what happened who, where, what you were feeling and what needs to change in your people/places/things so it’s less likely to repeat.
If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call 988 or your local crisis line right away.
IDs and documents are your gatekeepers for work, housing, and benefits. Replacing them is annoying—but possible.
- 1. Make a list of what’s missing: state ID/driver’s license, Social Security card, birth certificate, etc.
- 2. Start with your primary photo ID. Check your state’s DMV/Revenue website for “replace lost/stolen ID” and what documents you need.
- 3. For your Social Security card, use the official SSA site or local office, never random “pay us and we’ll do it” sites.
- 4. For birth certificates, look up the vital records office in the state where you were born. Many can be ordered by mail.
- 5. Use any reentry or legal aid program in your county that helps with document fees and paperwork. (Check the ARI resource hub for ID help in your area.)
Whenever you get new ID documents, take clear photos and keep copies in a safe digital spot for backup.
When housing blows up, the priority is safety and stability for the next 24–72 hours.
- 1. Get somewhere safe for tonight. That might be a shelter, motel, or safe friend/family, not an unsafe ex-partner, trap house, or high risk environment.
- 2. Let key people know (PO, treatment program, case manager) that your address changed so it doesn’t look like you disappeared.
- 3. Use the ARI housing and shelter list (on this app/website) to look for options by county second chance landlords, transitional housing, shelters.
- 4. Protect your documents and meds. Keep IDs, prescriptions, and court papers in a bag you control, not scattered in different houses.
If you’re fleeing violence or unsafe conditions, reach out to a domestic violence hotline or crisis shelter if it’s safe to do so.
Losing a job can hit hard, especially on supervision, but it doesn’t erase the work you’ve already put in.
- 1. Get clear on what happened. Fired? Hours cut? Laid off? This matters for how you explain it to PO, future employers, and programs.
- 2. Tell your PO or program sooner rather than later, especially if employment is a condition. Focus on what you’re doing next, not just what went wrong.
- 3. Use the ARI job tools: second-chance employer list, resume builder, and any workshops or hiring events listed in the hub.
- 4. Protect your routine. Keep your meeting schedule, sleep, and recovery supports steady while you job hunt.
If your firing involved safety or discrimination concerns, talk with legal aid or an employment law clinic if one is available in your area.
Transportation is a real barrier, but silence usually gets read as “non compliance.”
- 1. As soon as you know you’re stuck, call. Let the office, PO, or program know before the time if possible.
- 2. Offer a concrete backup plan: “I can get there tomorrow at 9 AM on the bus / with a different ride. Can we reschedule?”
- 3. Check any bus or transit info in the ARI hub for your county and save directions for next time.
- 4. Write down what you tried. This helps if you need to explain it later in court or to a supervisor.
Some programs will work with you if you keep them informed and consistent. Don’t wait until it becomes a violation or termination issue.
You are not the only one who has felt this way after prison, probation, or deep loss. It doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means the load is heavy.
- 1. Narrow your focus to the next safe thing: drink water, breathe, step outside, text or call one safe person.
- 2. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call 988 or your local crisis line, or go to the nearest ER if you can get there safely.
- 3. Pick one tiny task from your day (a meeting, a phone call, a load of laundry) and finish just that. Small wins still count.
- 4. When you can, connect to support meeting, sponsor, counselor, faith community, or a trusted reentry program like ARI.
This app can’t see everything you’ve survived. You are allowed to ask for help, even if you’ve had to be the strong one for a long time.
- County + city
- Group name (NA/AA/etc.)
- Day & time
- Location / building name
How One Investment Network Touches Arkansas
This diagram shows how even just a single private equity firm can connect to everyday life in Arkansas. It starts from what kids learn in schools, to graduation memories, to the way families pay to stay in touch with loved ones in jail/prison. Click any box to see what it means in plain language.
Tip: Tap a box in the picture above to highlight the matching explanation. This is written for everyday readers and there is no finance background needed.
Platinum Equity (the investor at the top)
Platinum Equity is an investment firm. It buys companies and then tries to make money from how those companies operate.
- It does not run your local school or jail directly.
- Instead, it owns companies that sell services to schools, jails, and government agencies.
- When those companies charge fees, money eventually flows back to the investment firm and its investors.
That is why this matters: decisions made far away can shape daily life in Arkansas classrooms, graduation ceremonies, and prisons.
McGraw Hill → What students learn
McGraw Hill creates textbooks and digital lessons used in K-12 schools. Arkansas has McGraw Hill programs aligned to state standards, and districts in Northwest Arkansas can adopt them.
- When a district chooses a McGraw Hill program, teachers and students use it every day.
- Changing vendors later can be expensive and difficult, so schools often stay locked in on contracts and repercussions that are like a domino affect.
- This means an out of state company has a big influence on what Arkansas kids see in class.
For families, this looks normal: “That’s just the textbook.” Higher up the chain, it’s a long term revenue stream for investors.
Jostens → Yearbooks, rings, and graduation
Jostens supplies yearbooks, class rings, caps and gowns, and other graduation products. Schools like Huntsville High and Fayetteville High work with vendors like this.
- Families pay out of pocket for photos, books, and keepsakes.
- Those purchases turn life milestones into a steady business line.
- Again, the profits flow upward to the same ownership layer.
When you buy a yearbook or ring, that means you're paying your school AND you are helping fund a national company owned by an investment firm.
Aventiv / Securus → Calls and video from jail or prison
Securus is a company that runs phone calls, video visits, and tablets in many jails and prisons. Arkansas state prisons and several county jails use Securus for these services.
- Families often pay by the minute or by the video call.
- In some contracts, part of each payment is shared with the state or county as a commission.
- Advocates argue that high prices can feel like a heavy burden on low income families.
The same ownership network that profits from school materials can also profit when people in Arkansas have to pay to stay in touch with someone behind bars.
Cision → How official stories travel
Cision is a tool that governments, companies, and nonprofits use to send press releases and track news coverage.
- Agencies can quickly send polished messages to hundreds of journalists at once.
- This helps shape which parts of a story are front and center.
- It’s another way that communication about public issues is handled by private companies.
When news about schools, prisons, or contracts reaches the public, it often passes through systems like this first.
Arkansas classrooms (including NWA)
In places like Springdale, Fayetteville, and Huntsville, teachers may use McGraw Hill programs that are tied to state standards.
- Taxpayer money pays for these materials.
- Local staff do the real educational work, but the structure and content are shaped by the vendor.
- Over time, this can limit how flexible schools feel about trying new approaches.
For the average family, it looks like regular school operations but in private, it is also a business relationship.
School milestones in our towns
From yearbooks in Huntsville to graduation gear in other Arkansas cities, these products shape how young people remember their school years.
- Schools often sign multi-year agreements with a single vendor.
- Families feel social pressure: nobody wants their child left out of the photos or the ring orders.
- This creates steady demand with very little competition.
Critics worry that when one company holds this much of the market, prices and terms may not always favor families.
Arkansas prisons & jails
Arkansas Department of Corrections and local jails, such as Benton County, contract with companies like Securus to handle calls and video visits.
- People in custody cannot shop around for better rates.
- Their families must accept the prices if they want contact.
- Some contracts include revenue sharing with the facility, which can create a built in financial dependence on these fees.
This can feel to many families like paying a second price on top of the original sentence.
Why this network is a concern
When you step back, you can see a pattern: the same investment network is linked to what students learn, how their memories are packaged, how their relatives reach them in prison, and how official stories reach the news.
- Money flows out of local communities and into distant investment funds.
- Public services can slowly be reshaped around what works best for the business model, not always what is best for families.
- Because many of these decisions are made through contracts and software systems, it can be hard for the average person to see the full picture.
Understanding the network does not mean every actor is bad. It simply shows why communities may want more transparency, more local control, and more say in who profits from essential services.
Note: This graphic is a simplified model. It is based on public information about corporate ownership and vendor relationships. It is meant to help everyday readers see how large investment networks can intersect with local schools, milestones, and prisons.