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Committee advances bill creating recidivism-reduction system at Department of Corrections
Summary
The Judiciary Committee voted to pass SB 590, establishing a recidivism reduction system housed at the Department of Corrections and directing development of case plans, risk-needs assessments and expanded programming aimed at reducing returns to custody.
Senators on the Judiciary Committee voted to pass SB 590 after sponsor Sen. Centra Gilmore described the bill's goal: to create a recidivism-reduction system at the secretary level in the Department of Corrections and to codify practices the department and task-force stakeholders identified as necessary to lower the state's high return-to-custody rates.
Gilmore said Arkansas's recidivism rate is "nearly 50 percent" for the cohort cited in committee testimony and pointed to a third-party cost estimate attributing about $140 million in annual costs to recidivism. The bill establishes requirements such as individualized case plans, risk-needs assessments, and greater emphasis on programming and family- and faith-based supports.
The measure grew out of a multi-stakeholder recidivism task force established under the PROTECT Act. Gilmore told the committee members of the task force included prosecutors, corrections staff, victim representatives, and formerly incarcerated people; she said many of the bill's provisions reflect recommendations from that work.
Committee questioning focused on whether the department already performs these functions and on operational details. Gilmore acknowledged some practices exist in places but said they are not consistently applied, and the bill aims to standardize and expand evidence-based practices across facilities and community supervision.
After brief questions and no public testimony for or against, the committee adopted the do-pass motion. A second from Sen. Johnson was recorded and the chair announced the motion carried, sending SB 590 on for further consideration.
Supporters emphasized the bill is not a single fix but a series of reforms to improve programming and case management to reduce the number of people returning to DOC custody. Several senators and the bill's backers said reductions in recidivism would lower future prison admissions and associated costs.
The committee record shows a mix of technical drafting requests and broad support for the policy goals from stakeholders contacted during drafting, including the Department of Corrections and the board of corrections; Gilmore said she would accept edits suggested by the department to address fiscal or operational concerns.
