A woman convicted of two counts of criminal conspiracy relating to the theft of horses from Southern Arkansas University in 2011 has been approved for parole, according to a statement from the Arkansas Parole Board.
The Parole Board approved the parole of Jaci Rae Jackson on Thursday. The approval was announced Tuesday in a statement.
"The board has approved her parole and stipulated that she complete a course in thinking errors prior to release," Parole Board administrator Solomon Graves said. "Once she completes that course and once she has an approved parole plan, she will be eligible for release."
The thinking errors course takes about a month to complete, Graves said. Jackson also has to obtain an approved residence plan.
Jackson, 22, is currently imprisoned at the Wrightsville Unit.
Jackson was charged in Arkansas and Oklahoma in connection with the theft of five horses, a trailer and equipment from the SAU Rodeo team stables in November 2011. The trailer was found shortly afterward in Oklahoma. Four of the horses were found some time later in Oklahoma, but the fifth horse, Credit Card, was killed.
A member of the SAU rodeo team at the time, Jackson plotted with others to steal and transport the horses and equipment from Magnolia to isolated places in McCurtain County in Oklahoma, authorities said.
She was sentenced in January 2014 in Oklahoma and in February 2014 in Arkansas on charges related to the theft of the horses. After serving time in Oklahoma, Jackson was transferred to the Arkansas Department of Correction in January of this year.
"As far as the board is concerned, what we have in our system does not indicate whether or not she has any other time," Graves said. "Not to say that she does or doesn't, but what the board has in front of us does not indicate that she has any time remaining in the state of Oklahoma."
The Parole Board's statement noted that the offense for which Jackson was convicted was "nondiscretionary," meaning there is no legal authority for the board to deny parole. The board may only "stipulate a course of action to be completed prior to release."
When she is released, Jackson "will be subject to the standard conditions of release applicable to every parolee and additional special conditions of maximum supervision, community service hours, a curfew, periodic drug testing and a requirement that she develop an employment plan if unemployed," the statement said.
Rusty Hayes, instructor of agriculture and the SAU rodeo coach and director of farm operations, declined to comment about Jackson's parole when contacted Tuesday afternoon.
Metro on 08/19/2015