Arkansas prison unit cuts inmate capacity because of officer shortage

FILE — The Arkansas Department of Corrections Maximum Security Unit at Tucker is shown in this file photo.
FILE — The Arkansas Department of Corrections Maximum Security Unit at Tucker is shown in this file photo.


The Arkansas Board of Corrections agreed Monday to reduce the inmate bed capacity at the prison facility located in Tucker from 910 to 612 because of ongoing staffing issues and a renovation project.

Division of Correction Director Dexter Payne told the board that the Tucker Unit is operating at a 72% vacancy rate among staffers. He said a majority of the vacant positions are among correctional officers, who operate security and monitor the prisoners.

"We have 34 correctional officers at the Tucker Unit, and it requires 102," Payne said.

Dr. William "Dubs" Byers, a board member, said he was concerned about dropping the bed capacity because the prison facility actually needs more space.

"I am hesitant to reduce capacity especially at the Tucker Unit, but until we get officers who can properly supervise the facility, then I am for reducing the capacity until they can get leveled up," Byers said.

The Tucker Unit houses inmates serving moderate to long terms, and those who are significant escape risks.

In addition to a shortage of guards, the prison has been undergoing a $463,000 renovation of five barracks since August. No inmates are in those units.

Board Chairman Benny Magness told the board the construction plays a part in this bed reduction and that this has been done before when units needed renovations or upgrades.

"It's a twofold deal," he said. "We got staffing and construction needs over there. We need to add beds, but we got to address these issues first."

Cindy Murphy, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the bed capacity reduction will not require any inmates to be moved from the Tucker Unit. She said the facility is currently holding around 600 inmates.

"We have no immediate plans to reduce capacity at other units," she said.

Corrections Secretary Solomon Graves said the Department of Corrections is doing all it can at the moment to address the staffing concerns in prison facilities.

"We are seeing progress in the number of applicants since the board approved the salary grid that we implemented last month," he said.

The Arkansas Board of Corrections approved last year two separate salary grids that will cost the prison agency more than $25 million annually if all of the positions are filled.

The estimated cost for the remainder of this fiscal year -- which began July 1, 2021, and ends June 30 -- is roughly $11.5 million.

Graves said the $11.5 million will be paid out of the salary savings that accumulated from unfilled positions within the department.

Graves told the Uniform Personnel Classification and Compensation Plan Subcommittee for the Arkansas Legislative Council in December that the Department of Corrections is at a crisis point when it comes to staffing and that the salary grid is a necessary solution to the problem.

"We have been managing by grace during the [covid-19] pandemic," he told the committee last month. "Our current vacancy rates are at 54% for the Department of Corrections and up to 42% for the Department of Community Corrections."

Graves told the committee that the Division of Correction had just over 1,300 vacant GS05 corporal positions out of 2,477 authorized positions. He also said the Division of Community Corrections had 96 vacant GS05 corrections officer/corporal positions out of 260 authorized positions.

The prison system has about 15,000 inmates.

Graves told the board Monday that since the salary grid has gone into place, he is hopeful because of increased interest by applicants in correctional officer positions.

"A week prior to implementing the salary grid we only had 41 applications across the department. Since that plan was implemented the following week we had 192 and the week after that we had 208 applications, and last week we had 168," he said. "We are seeing continued interest in our positions statewide."

Graves said the key now is getting through the interview process and training.

"We had one unit where we had 10 individuals show up to interview, which doesn't seem like a lot, but compared to a month ago where we had one or two, it can be a lot," he said. "We are slowly making progress and we are hoping this translates to people starting the academy, finishing the academy and working for us."


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