Welcome to Arkansas Restorative Initiative

Why We Exist

Arkansas Restorative Initiative was built in response to a reality that has been normalized for decades. There is a gap between what the public is told about incarceration and what actually happens inside Arkansas prisons.

The system is typically described as rehabilitative where accountability is emphasized and preparation for reentry is promised.

Our work begins where those statements stop being interrogated. We document what exists, what is missing, and we track the difference between written policy and lived conditions.

This organization is research driven. We publish what can be supported.

Our Team

Arkansas Restorative Initiative is sustained by people who work with discipline, integrity, and quiet resolve. This work is driven by hared commitment to truth, accountability, and the belief that people are more than the systems that confine them.

National Collaboration and Reach

While Arkansas Restorative Initiative is rooted in Arkansas, incarceration and reentry outcomes are shaped by national standards, shared research, and federal precedent. This work does not exist in isolation.

Over the past year, ARI has established ongoing dialogue with leaders, scholars, clinicians, advocates, and policy focused organizations across the country. These relationships inform how we evaluate claims and pressure test assumptions.

Collaboration strengthens accuracy, accountability, and long term impact.

Arkansas Restorative Initiative works alongside national experts and institutions to ensure integrity and precision. Where appropriate, findings are shared with relevant state and federal stakeholders in accordance with applicable law.