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| Thu, Aug. 28, 2008 |  |
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More than 700 made eligible to seek early parole Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A growing backlog of state prisoners being held in county jails across the state prompted the Arkansas Board of Corrections on Monday to invoke the Emergency Powers Act, making up to 735 inmates eligible to apply for early parole. The board voted during a conference call after prison officials reported that 1,008 prisoners were being held in county jails waiting transport to a state prison. "It's been a while since we've opened new beds for males," prison spokeswoman Dina Tyler said, adding that just 12 of the inmates held in county jails were women. She said the number of women was low because 200 new beds were opened at the McPherson Unit for women at Newport earlier this year. Tyler also said the prison population generally rises early in the year. Relief is expected when a $39 million special needs unit for sick and elderly inmates now under construction in Malvern is completed, Tyler said. The 862-bed facility is scheduled to be completed in 2010, but 144 of those beds should be ready by 2009, she said. During Monday's telephone conference, prison officials told board members that state prisons, which are rated to hold 12,722 inmates, were overflowing with 13,330, of whom 12,268 were men and 974 were women. Originally, the Emergency Powers Act allowed the board to grant parole hearings for state inmates when the prison population exceeded 98 percent of capacity for 30 consecutive days. The Legislature in 2003 expanded the act to allow the board to make nonviolent offenders who have served at least six months eligible for early parole when the county jail backlog of state prisoners is more than 500. |
