Former Arkansas Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri told lawmakers Tuesday that the state already has the infrastructure to address its prison overcrowding issues but needs to scale its efforts effectively. Profiri, now serving as a senior advisor to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, made the comments during a joint meeting of the House and Senate judiciary committees.
He described Arkansas’ prison system as being at a crossroads, with over 80,000 people under some form of community corrections supervision. Profiri praised earlier legislative actions, stating the framework was in place but emphasized the importance of expanding its capacity. "What it comes back to is based on the scale of Arkansas’ community corrections system, maybe we need a larger capacity to actually show success," he said.
Profiri's appearance at the hearing marked his first before lawmakers since 2025. His previous absence from a legislative hearing in 2026, regarding a now-halted proposal for a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, drew criticism from some legislators and amplified tensions between the governor’s office and the Board of Corrections.
Arkansas' growing prison population, driven largely by high recidivism rates according to department data and experts, has led to significant overcrowding in state facilities. The backlog has also created a ripple effect, with county jails housing individuals awaiting transfer to state prisons. This system-wide strain has persisted despite ongoing discussions among legislators and corrections officials.
The prison overcrowding issue has been a point of contention between Sanders and the Board of Corrections. In 2023, Profiri, then corrections secretary, sought to open more prison beds, a move Board Chairman Benny Magness resisted due to concerns over understaffing. This disagreement eventually contributed to the board's decision to suspend and later terminate Profiri's tenure, resulting in a legal dispute over governance within the corrections system.
Sanders' subsequent effort to secure $750 million in funding for the Franklin County prison project faced considerable resistance from both a bipartisan coalition in the Senate and the local community. Without broad support, the initiative remains on hold.
During the Tuesday hearing, Profiri urged lawmakers to focus on making the corrections system more rehabilitative rather than punitive. He stated that executing existing policies effectively could help reduce the strain on the system while addressing the root causes of recidivism.
Lawmakers have met multiple times since September to discuss potential solutions to the state’s persistent jail and prison overcrowding. However, consensus on how to remedy the problem, including the scale and scope of new prison construction, remains elusive.