Arkansas Department of Correction

A federal program, whose Arkansas participants include Shorter College in Little Rock and Arkansas State University-Newport, provides need-based Pell Grants to state and federal prisoners through college partnerships. read more >

The near build-out of The Residences at Rockwater is putting new development activity in play for North Little Rock’s Lower Baring Cross neighborhood. read more >

The former executive vice president of the Arkansas Home Builders Association, who helped herself to $100,000 of the association’s money, began serving her 12-year prison sentence in August. read more >

Arkansas' prison system is struggling with a high number of vacancies as the department tries to address a violent rash of incidents that have included attacks on guards by inmates, the state's correction chief told lawmakers Wednesday. read more >

An execution drug obtained by the Arkansas prison system earlier this month appears to have been made by a subsidiary of Pfizer, even though Pfizer has said it doesn't want its drugs to be used in executions. read more >

It might take another two years before the Crittenden Hospital Association’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation is over, the trustee in the case said last week. read more >

The Arkansas Supreme Court granted the state's request to temporarily put on hold a mandate to turn over information about the source of its execution drugs, with the decision released about an hour before Friday's noon deadline for the disclosure. read more >

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has opened an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and harassment at an Arkansas women's prison. read more >

A former guard for the Arkansas Department of Correction is suing a private pre-release and reentry services company over injuries he received during a fight in one of the company’s barracks. read more >

A company that responded to the state prison system’s request for proposals for an inmate call system has filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing it was not fairly evaluated. read more >

Cathy Frye, a longtime reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, has taken over as spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Correction. Jennifer Gill, a name familiar to newspaper readers in Fort Smith, said she has left the Southwest Times Record after more than 16 years. read more >

The lack of understanding of financial matters in the most basic way by offenders is truly amazing. In my opinion, it also contributes heavily to recidivism. It is already difficult to get on one’s feet with a criminal record; add to that the trouble understanding finance and you contribute to the revolving door of the system. read more >

State Sen. Jane English has no use for the private option, the Medicaid expansion providing health insurance to the poor. But the Republican lawmaker from North Little Rock saw an opportunity and took it, and what began as an old-fashioned political horse trade — you get my vote, I get something for my constituents — appears likely to evolve into a governor-backed legislative package that next year will seek to transform workforce training in Arkansas. read more >