State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs- House and Senate

It's meeting his car daughter. Before we get started I just now scrap several things on today's agenda if you're here to speak for against any thing on today's agenda be sure there's sign up sheet right out front door be sure to sign up if not. Yeah I won't know that you're here and give you the opportunity to speak for against anything on the day's agenda first thing order business days I need a motion to approve the minutes from the may twenty four to twenty twenty three meeting I have a motion and see emotion have second have a second all in favor say I will post say no the minutes from the mike twenty fourth meeting has been approved. Committee members on today's agenda we have eleven is pays at general study proposals. For those of you there may not be prepared they're watching live straight where in the audience and in the internet study proposals something that legislator has introduced for a study if we adopt those today and does not mean that is becoming the law that is legislation it just means that the legislator can continue to do a sturdy on that proposal and during the next regular session if they are that legislative was to introduce that is legislation than they can do so it is time although sometimes you're some objections on an isp although everyone own his committee understand it but I want to make sure that those of you and the audience are watching analyst understand exactly what we're adopting here today if we. When we adopt those eye asps so. Committee members we have. One through eleven we have eleven tower lisp's and. But consideration of adoption adoption for an interal study proposal without objections. I'm a bit way of doubt these isps. Any objections. Say none. Then they're loved in moving on on today's agenda. Yeah. Committee members in accordance with the an act that we passed and believe in twenty twenty three of act eight hundred it requires this committee to review a annual report. From the department of labor old any investigations from some of their boards. The. Those are those who are attached to you should have a copy of their findings on that report there is any questions please let me know what this time if not we have a question. Pleasure you recognize it flowers you're recognized request. The. Here from this. Arkansas abstract is more. Yes but you would just have see the table. You were just not bad known you maggies tediate identified yourself and who you were then the the children who have a question for you. A buy name is diana piaski I am the director of the state board of a pricers abstractors and home inspectors go males morgan attorney at the department of labor licensing thank you both for being here sept flowers you recognize for your question thank you mister. My question first is this. In your letter. Given us this report of zero complaint for. It's preferred to the arkansas abstractors board. Being required to file this annual report. The austral use that name. About these were combined boards. Yes band of act eight hundred in that section fifty four referred only to the abstractors board. So within the the consolidated board you still have abstractors more well the statutes were not combined ma'am it was the board and the staff that were combined by x twenty eight so this is only in the abstractor statutes is the reason that we answer for the abstractors. Is there what would combine the board in the staff the board in the staff were combined into one entity the statutes were not combined into one set of statutes. So what border you referring to that was combined with. With the staff. The staffer the appraiser license you can certification board the home inspector registration board and the abstractors arkansas adstructors forward were combined into the state board of a prizer satisfactors and home inspectors. So then said flows you need to follow your recognition trying to understand this though make this deplicative or or what I mean we combine these boards together. And then you say what we didn't repeal the old statute and that's why you haven't. The deal with it. Something called an abstractors more okay so the the section of act eight hundred that was passed this was placed in the abstract reward statutes. So that's the reason we answered each one of the sets of statutes have separate set you know if there are certain things in the appraiser statutes that wouldn't apply to the home inspectors board or the home inspector statutes those licensees. There are things in the home inspectors that don't apply to the abstractor's board so the statutes for the the abstractor's boards were the only ones that were changed. Requiring this report. Yeah. And i'm sorry ma'am i'd miss a chair and under that trying to be difficult that i'm trying to understand so we still have in arkansas abstractors board standing along it no men we do not it is part of the state board of ads right of help a praiser's abstractors and home inspectors we do have separate statutes for each one of those three entities we have statutes those who were not combined into one set of statutes but until you're calling and a board arkansas abstractors board well and that was the way that it was referred to within that act is the reason that we did that. So reply by could I don't think they're the reason they're before this committee today is when their legislation was passed this legislative body is one that put their into statue which we came back to eight hundred and ported that was for them to be here today to follow annual report with soldier they're not here today necessarily as to why the boards were consolidated they're here to comply with that eight hundred that we the legislative body passed requiring them to do this so that's I don't know that helps you and I well it doesn't really because i'm trying to understand since we combine those three boards and I recall specifically the debate over the combination and consolidation of these three board abstract. Home inspectors. And then at these people that are praised for the bank. And i'm trying to understand why. We still have an entity. That is reporting to a scale arkansas abstractors board but never never the less I go on the other question I have a years you say they are zero complaints that have been filed. And are these. Complaints that have not been file. Referencing. Any. Abstractor complaints are all three of the entities complaints this was was just specifically for the abstractor so that this references the abstractors only. Yeah I remember in in discussion of the bill that was passed and became act eight hundred. They had not been any complaints. In many many years. Because this is almost extinct except for all engaged leases something and at big corporations would use when they are trying to. The government may be the listing on now down there checked with. Ownership in all that but. I don't understand why why we're. Have calling this and abstractors more to deal thank you mister mem. Judge and your recognized for a question. Thank you mischief and i'm appreciate you allow me to ask question and will be very brief it's a slight follow up on certain flowers question since you're here and as not stashed to require could you tell us that there have been any complaints about the appraisers in the home inspectors with her said home inspectors have complained would you recommend to us that we consolidate all of that in two one report that she would make rather than just covering this one particular thing or with that would that help or hinder your work if in the regular session of twenty twenty five we kind of clean this language up and how would you suggest it be cleaned. The. I would like to see it cleaned up tell it you know we were trying to follow what the lies we as we understood it to be so if you could tell me which ones you want if you want all three i'm happy to provide that if you would specific about only the abstract or division of the site word of a process abstractors and home inspectors that would help a lot as well where we we appreciate knowledge that helps us new our job but it sounds like this was one that the actual combination there was a a little loose language that was not changed so if you all would make recommendations to as we have over a year to maybe come up with substance it fixes that so so thank you for being here today and for your diligence in complying with the statute and I guess somebody is doing a good job that wouldn't be zero complaints thank you mischief thank you say no further questions from committee members without objections to report will be reviewed and file thank you for your tendency today like. Dext item on the day's agenda agenda is discussion of president conditions and ambigue treatment at the arts out apartment of corrections. Thank representative tosh er from the department of correction's dexter pain please. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure we were we will have to bring you back up with just to recognize yourselves and introduce yourself in your welcome yes sir my name is dexter paying on the director for the arkansas reasonable correct. Wednesday while it's cheaper staff for the department of corrections we am strong debited director for the division corrections. Your air can have a sir we heard a day to discuss issues brought before the committee concerning alleged abuse lays a medical issues within meets and I think part of the problem is that you're being told that we have not responded to some of these issues. We take every issue serious we investigate it we look over it but this group has tried to utilize one person as a spokesperson to get information and gather information on multiple inmates across the state this person also has a warfran who was affiliated with the new ear and empower which is a prison game we tried to limit all communications you know with people that are affiliated with our present gangs but this is going on see this person had a son who was also in carcerated who was in the same prison gain so a lot of the information she requests we don't respond to basically because this is involved in this game so if an air made sense also request saying that hey I have issue have medical problems while i'm having the issue with another in made i'm having issues with staff we take all this serious we investigate it we have a grievous process that we utilize for these issues but I think this this group is wanting to go outside of there in form their own opinions in in in and just basically mislead inmates and their families to what's going on in the department. Can can representative our senator from from the area that the inmate is from review any complaints that have been given to the. Department can a representative yet house members yes yes thank you. Is there any other questions i'll hand this back over to a single time. Representative gone dollars a question thing is share so can your release information if saves someone just from the community like that. Since in a request can what can you share no sir we cannot share it if if they have questions about medical conditions or grievances if they are the primary contact for that particular inmate we can't share that information we cannot share it with this group that is seeking this information but it's it's not just because of the gang affiliation you just couldn't do that and that that's great yes that's what I thought thank you. Replied to your war you recognized for a question. Thank you miss chair I think representatives always gonna stole my questionnaire you get a good job with it have they requested that type of information in this group requested in that information reading of our current state prisons to date yes so have they tried to become visitors or if some of these in mate yes sir can you tell me what group they seem to target when they want to be visitors of these in might are the new air and emperor and it's solely that group destiny when i'm aware of yes and and we identify those groups bar identified markings on the body a different tattoos is what i'm talking to about how do you all identify who these folks are yes are marking statues and a lot of times the admit that they are part of it uh gang affiliation so so we're we're not making allegations here we know for sure that these members that she heard that this groups wanted to sit set with our members of the of the gang right yes sir thank you say no further quoted firm committee mep. Okay. Yeah. Play for your recognized thank you. Good afternoon as far good afternoon as the center flowers are you so I was just trying to understand you I was listening to your opening comment. So you are addressing something that obviously I had no knowledge amount that was against presented the leadership the chair or something I mean. Yes ma'am that's my understanding I didn't get the. The little preview of what this is all is there something in writing. Committee receive saying some in make. Send something to the committee or something every saver and email some time ago of reclash from individuals last year before state agencies to boist are concerned where item that request. So are they here they're who. We're fixed to call them here and just mob until comes as table and. You'll be able to stay home and hear from them at the time. So do you have the email that can be shared with the committee. Object would stay up I think at the below was what it was contact did not mean. Oh well i'd just like to say mr pain appreciate to work I know it's a heart job. After there's a legislator I have received and still received complaints. In makes in the family members in a lot of times i'm able to speak with the family members. And ask them to get back with their attorney. That they use prior to. Being convicted sentence yourself. I don't understand why they don't utilize that more if they don't have a complaint. Yes mayor deal with their let their law you deal with it thank you miss chair representative recognized for a question. Thank you mister chairman and first I think director paine in the staff for the tremendous job that they do in the department of corrections and I have visited with a director paying as well as the secretary and a miswallows on a number of occasions on different issues that were brought to my attention by constituents that are in cars rated in in I incarcerated individuals outside of my district and they've been very responsive and it explained everything to me and gotten the answers and I appreciate all that you do are many of us have been to the facility business with director pain in the staff and you know there's a handful i'm okay up up at these people aren't cars rated they broke the law and prison is not a great it's not supposed to be a great place to be and things are going to happen and I know that the staff that are prisons in the secretaries holding people accountable in their making sure that are inmates or well taken care of and anyway I just want to say thank you for all that you do and i'm a tremendous supporter of our department or corrections and everything that you're doing your so thank you very much saying no further questions from committee members you would that we're going to hear test mounting from those of signed up speak today and then we may call you back at a later time thank you. Maybe may have got several people's fan signed up speak on the issue issue my understanding eleven of their miss biddle unions. Leading a bit of a just come to this table. The. But I have said they'll fire yourself to the committee and who you represent you recognize speaking. My name's ladina better and I represent architect apartment a corrections are family support group which is an unprofit for game ways of those that are incarcerat. Do you recognize my extended. And for you today not just as a concern to citizen better than murder. A matter who heart. Who heard apext but the countless standing data who states that the twin with our prison system a system more about inefficiencies and issues that deeply affect the medical and mental health residence and were conduct misconduct amongst staff at petch rates a cycle of despair and is function. And in justice as a state we came together under a banner a sheriba used and common decency. Straight into insurer safety bar communities while administering justice with bareness and humanity yet that aim is not end at the prison gate and arkansas or incarceration rates remain disproportionately hard with perols and hit balls that extend beyond the prison walls farming individuals families and entire communities evidence overwhelmingly indicates but conditions within our prisons are billing the falling short and providing adequate medical and mental health care in nights many of the home are non balance of thinders grapple daily with insufficient treatment delight diagnosis and like a basic health care medication errors that need them removal of mobility devices such as walkers and worksheers. This is not just in an inhumane it's a violation of the constitutional rights and in a front to be human dignity forms the foundation of our law it is no secret that may not illness is prevalent within our incarcerated population yet our system is illegal to respond to these needs instead of rehabilitation we witness the exacerbation of mental health conditions fueling a dishes farcal that benefits no one. Additionally I would like to address the crucial matters of transparency in account and build with it. It deeply sends me it strengthens my determination when I hear your family's being left and informath their questions and answered. Their ability to visit their loved ones restricted in their connection server by bureaucratic indifference it is a disheartening that a mother's play for her child's health and safety afternoon i'm death ears within a while in difference in an action as the family member myself I have experience first in the shame blame and this treatment we endear when seeking answers from the department of corrections we're treated is that we are steps are the criminals. Often being you or to add or hung up on our director who's even claimed that we do not have permission to emailing and his tax payer offended email address and has instructed its employees not to respond to our enquiry stating they are with no explanation. This lack of responsiveness is disheartening in undermines are confidence in the department's commitment to their duty. For instance when awarded assistance with contacted regarding reports of inadequate cooling in the malfunctioning they occur she snipped like forwarded the email to her warden with a remark station that she was not going to replied they were all high. It becomes a daily struggle to navigate the bureaucratic obstacles and ordered advocate for our left once insurer they're welcome they can constant waiting for a phone call to confirm their safety ads to the anxiety and certain deal we face this ongoing experience you roads any hope that the art can start apartment a correction actually cares about those energies or the families instances establishments conduct including a new collect and abuse corroded trust and promote your justice system every report of mistreatment with our facilities as a stain up on the honor of those who start baper and dim the beacon of hope in reform that are prison systems should in badly search misconduct should not be the normative as it often is dismissed as and the excuse this shouldn't be that all inmates like search missed conduct should be the exception with by tariff to eliminate while brave correctional officers often operate into stressful and difficult circumstances integrity mess be the cornershound of their duty adequate training clear accountability measures and proper supervisions should be non negotiable standards we uphold. Perol reform is needed in a system that it passes the book it becomes that the doc that doesn't rehabilitate and properly preparing it mapper release who wants more beds and the perot board who won't release them because they don't feel that they have been properly rehabilitated it's a catch twenty two. And it made snows since for a model in may to go it for parole get a year to now then doing that year be a model in mate steel and go up before the problem and get a two year denial. As you will hear from the others yet to speak comprehensive or forms are needed that prioritise the hell of them well being mates insuring access to community equivalent medical care and mental health services as provided by the AR eight nine three we need to inspect it enforced the standards by which are present to operate using independent inspections how individuals and institutions accountable from his conduct and we must recognize that the health and the manager does within our prison systems are reflections of our fadiliar I proceed of justice must be radios and comparison let us not forget that almost a month those behind bars are on delo on the archains who often products of their own abandoned longing for redention and determining the system that supports not sabotages their potential reform and contribution to society. It's time that we as a community and as the state upon the rights and well being of all of our citizens regardless of where they were sad. Thank you for taking your time to europe or something by you any questions from committee members. Representative would allow you recognize for a question thank you mister can you tell me why you guys target one group as a department let us to believe all ago. We do not so why are all of your wire you listed as a visitor on that particular group across the prison system. I had no idea. A more money more than I don't have an I mean he a massive was affiliated when he was there. Our other members that you go and see it president are they member you can only be overwhelming exchange back and forth you've got a question explanation with bill if you add to the question and they white to easter asking the question before you answer would like in one question a tab reptile to work you have. Mr thing is important that we understand who she is here to represent and it sounds like from the department she's is only on list of members there and brother who it so is she here to represent all your mates or she here to represent a certain member of again so I think it's important that she answers that instead of telling us I don't know miss belgium you you heard a representative just question can you answer the question yes we are here and support of all inmates. So mr yes you recognize so with that why are you only listed on visitations of members of the certain game i'm not so okay thank you mister look at you represent the guest why you recognize for a question thank you mister chairman so just to clarify maybe I miss them this I was in the back for period of time but. Was trying to listen what is the name of the group that you represent its arkansas apartment a correction stainless support. And is this ballot. So is this a formal group that you've incorporated or like a non profit or is this just our nonprofit okay. Can you tell us how many members there are of the group. We have approximately four hundred at the moment. And I take it that these are parents of in mates in the department of corrections that correct they are have laptops in the department of corrections. And. Representative word lost questions I mean the department was up your earlier incentionally represented that. The only people that you have visited or I guess maybe members of your group have visited have been a part of this. New area and impire game. Is that true that it's not really. Okay so you have a sign in the department of correction yesterday my sense been out of year okay. Are you wish your son a member of the new area empire he was yesterday. All right thank you please recognize for a question. Thank you mister air so how many a complaints have you filed with the department of corrections. Myself numerous and in each family member advocates for their loved one and has their own you know that's what we have from do is connect to the resources so it follow up miss german recognition when you say numerous at that doesn't work for me what I why am trying to find out is how many. Complaints have you filed. Or a member of the new area in power. Including my son. How many won't if I make a mister chairman how many complaints have you filed that was for a member of the new area in par net just your son about any others now. Okay. Thank you. Thank you hamburg you recognize per question you make should already be on thank you good afternoon of the four hundred members of your organization how many of them have family members that are currently incarcerated or have been in car treated in the last year and i'm over here to your left. All of them all of them yes sir okay. And of all four hundred of those individuals in that have been incarcerated how many of them to your knowledge are members of the gang that the other members have referenced do you know. I had no idea sir. The only one. That. I'm aware of what I sign and then but I received males. And emails from other people ask them for hail from in the exact separate but. It's not that affiliation. Again to you what they're affiliated who the affiliated with i've thought you can or you cannot I cannot you cannot okay one more mischairman right now thanks sir. The leave four hundred. Um. Members of your organization. Do they have. A history of only helping members that are in the gang it was referenced or do they help all people if they are involved in anything deal with the department. That that was grossly exaggerated. I don't know there is no claim there is no certain people we hear there's to know you know everybody's in there just advocating for their live on trying to find out answers i'm hard to advocate form or get help it's we don't talk about who's affiliated or white at. So I really can't tell you who else. Ears affiliated. Alright and who supports your non profits or how is your non profit funded and who is it that that helps your nonprofit exists thank you mister. We do get born private downer that we have only been a non profit now for one year and so we are. Still growing up grants. The. Reputative richmond you recognized for a question. Thank you miss chair are just a minute ago i'm over here just a minute ago when representative barry asked question your first answer to his question was numerous. Then and when he reacts the question the second time you said holding one. Complaint had been filed for your son can you clarify to me exactly what you met with it appears to be a conflict during this answer now I want to clarify as far as how many complaints have actually been filed was it just worn or has there been numerous what did you mean by that okay and it won in mate. This. What was the numerous answer for. Well because in a sign was in their brown was ten years so there was numerous complaints that add out letter members the group filed the. Okay so you actually filed numerous complaints. So I don't understand why you said only one i'm sorry for that and I was referring to just one in mate oh okay I understand now thank you revenue d mere you recognized for question thank you miss chairman so my understanding is this i'm trying to educate myself on this this group and so it's our white supremacist group from what I understand. So. Do the desert group there's so. A non profit that you are part of do you have any african american members in that group object alright thank you but mister one more so that new area impart group that is a white supremacist organization yes okay thank you thank mister. Clark you recognize per question thank you mister chair of i've dealt with some problems. Within mates and I don't know if it was represented while ago that there are no problems. The. And no need for any change. Ma'am do you know if there's other groups at representative. Yes sir there are approximately two others that I know that represent mates and architects are okay thank you I did find an interesting that when I saw this group of people back here with darker color skin are raised her hand that they were members of your group. Um which is supposed to be. Arian but I heard a. I had. The worst two cases that I can recall young man. That definitely not part of your group not part of the areas either. Who his family because of his letters etc contact were concerned that he was going to take his own lot. They were still worried they got hold of me I got hold of department of corrections. And was told there was absolutely nothing to worry about two weeks later he took his own life would your have represented him and tried to help that family. Absolutely the other was a young lady who's actually daughter refriends who was diagnosed in prison had to be had to be prison personnel with breast cancer and then how ups. I was within the medical system so no she didn't actually have risk answer and we know that that's one of those things you want to get taken care of as soon as you can but was given no treatment. Which all have represented her in that family. We welcome help them within our resources sure but then our resource to fed something but not being a member of brother of the brotherhood etc would not excluded them from you trying to help no sir there's in fact there's the other prison. Groups others that war group there's in a ee there's our different kind of groups we don't. When we when people asked to join the group one of the questions is not use your inmate affiliated. For that I don't doubt that and I would be one of the last for people who know me that would be for caught in prisoners but but that being said your group. In your opinion as it exists because there's some reforms that need to be made in the system that is thank you. Thank you mister representative gaza recognized for question. Thank you mister chairman so I mean just to be clear this not this nonprofit group that you have. You're not formally affiliated with the area and empire gang is that right necessarily they're like that was just a distraction to get away from the real purpose of the incur so each but it just so happens that many of the members who you've talked with the end mates and their family members who associate with your organization. They have family members who are in the department of corrections you're affiliated with that gang as that I do not know if they have been with the way I did that something we don't I assure it followed this to recognize so in terms of the advocacy that you do what types of things do you do to help the inmates. We. Help about their family with the resources to advocate form we help one I mean it's simple things like teaching on how to go and send it for a video for a visitation but we prevent you know forms or things that they may need they may just have question they need answered. And we answer that bed we had. We hear all of their. Issues that they're having is wale and so when you're hearing all the same issues but they're coming from every unit the same thing. It's not made out that snarlas. And I know that. The. I'm sure department of corrections. Would like a step vehicle that they are doing your best but I do not the other they show there at the hand the same. Bullah thank you and I appreciate that and I certainly think there's a place for advocacy for those who are in course rated I think there's also some question about where advocacy crosses the line into ading because you've acknowledged that many of these people are incarcerated are members of again. Or gang affiliated and between the advocacy and between furthering the criminal activity of these gains while they're in prison. I mean are there any things anything that you have done or that members of the organization have done that might be seen as furthering. The criminal activity that these games are involved in inside the department of corrections under the guys of advocacy okay thank you. The. Replied barely oregon asked for question. Thank you again mister chairman so what was your purpose for trying to gain access to visit the leader of the new area empire in your official capacity what what was your purpose for that because I had become brands with him I see thank you mister. So do just fail you recognize for question thank you so very much I would like to visit again with direct was mister pierson. Is it possible. For clarity repair to question many with someone from corrections for clarity we've got just a couple more questions could we go here to get those questions and ask her it's not problem there is a great deal of anxed about your presence here today and I think you already know there. Help me understand why it is that you are proceeded. As having commitments only to the area nation could you help me understand that as i've stated it earlier I feel like that's just a distraction they are putting out there to get away from the real issue that we're here and what is your real issue today. I'm sorry while it helped me understand your real issue here today. We are advocating for prison reform and per the necessities but basic human needs of our left ones that are not even being give me some examples. Okay. You can advocate if you can't just list list about five things that you think me needs to be done better what are five things that need to be done they need better medical I mean. I've had two contact them in our past. Um. Okay something they were card over medication errors getting the wrong application so we have medication is one of the issues what is issue now is no mental hail no metal number to rent the. I'm not going to go as far as they corruption within this stay off but the miskinda within the stay up that is never believed give me some examples of misconduct and i'll be through okay perfectly it's an example on missed conduct with someone that is this sexual misconduct is it physical misconduct what kind of misconduct it was. I have we have an inmate that his mother is here today will be speaking for him and he had been writing home about disabuse by this correctional after and. It was reported repeatedly and nothing was done about it and he wrote me a letter asking for my help and said that. He had been told that. Forget because you can't prior when I bomb for a common on home sexual that he had swabbing come in. Well yeah what never matter and so we're finding out this I think I got that and so nobody believed it was all just mental it happened it's very correct less let's get back to a question in the account instead of a dialogue about dress your question about you could give an example of some tap misconduct and you were fixing to give that example did you have you completed your example no sir okay go head and finish your example before we move okay so i've got i've got some things here that i'm understanding you feel that the medical conditions could be improved at that time treatment of of inmates could be better you are concerned about metal health and what was them before. Never bought is the overcrowding in the pool thank you so much that they helped me to understand the more you top the more we concentrate on the other things that you say rather than getting to the heart of the matter in one of those sources would like to get to the heart of the may thank you so very much for answering my questions thank you mister chief. Filter hammer you recognize your max audio thank you miss chair there are a lot of groups that are the cape for inmates years now being one of them you're about a year old correct we were extended in two thousand and nineteen that we become the nan profit last year so yesterday okay will you ever member of the other groups that are out there their decade for inmate. Will you ever remember any of the other groups before yesterday yes sir okay and why did you not stay with the group that you were with previously what compelled you to start this group. The group that I was with a before I started this money it was for it was card or an arbitrary bed. It had all the states in it and I wanted something that can't contradict more just arkansas and the issues with an arkansas and to be able to have and this may be sims strange to some people but to have a more family lack environment. And I mean if somebody wants to disall list a spiritual reading or stonger something you know we understand we just wanted that family burn it because we still still isolated when I loved ones are included rated you know you accidentally spell often. So that was the purpose of me starting it is because I want to send them a small folks done arkansas and I was raising two grand daughters and did not need totally assess like myself okay and there are no other arkansas beached groups outside of yours what i've heard you say in your answer is that there was only one that you could take out their net was more of a nationwide organization no other article they stroops. Added in the decarcerate and a gun but not forgotten. And. I'm not. Active and those but they are here with this today. We you were activated I was at one time no sir okay right thank you sure that's in your recognized for quick many members of my probably need to remain you about fourteen people said that to speak here today so no miss bell has been a table for a while but a lot of questions i'm on about having options that's what questions they need to but colleague please keep that in man we've got fourteen others do just bar introduction you reckon i've. Thank you mister chair. Right here. So I heard what you said just briefly that previously the there was one donor that majorly funds you in I think I understood that was via a grant potentially is that is that only one grant funding your organization that is all that we have at this moment and is that a public leaders no it's a private down so and are they in state or out of their institute okay thank you yes sir representative should recognize. The. Thank miss chair. I think you said earlier that that you had tried to visit the leader of the of the area. Nationwide and nation the very brotherhood what what is this. Is is that the name. Yes sir at. The. Was I had emailed with him and after my son was released from prison I was going to visit you but I never did you are going to work I was going to visit with him but I never okay so you were going to in whitewater that visitation never take place because I cut stuck corresponding. Okay so you start there it wasn't that you weren't allowed to. There's a him what would you have been allowed to visit him had. What was would that have been your choice. I have no problem visiting anyone because. I don't see home. I'm asking this and this may be more of a question for for the department of corrections can anyone go in and visit anyone in the prison that they want to you had to be on this tastion leos yesterday so you can on a list to be eligible to visit visit this when my same was released he had to be offered the vegetation I had to be offered his visitation only as for six months you can only be on one person's dissitation at a time unless they are relayed like when my daughter in law was in prison from the same ways in prison and we have the two children. Then we could see both that but when they're not related you can only be on one person's leos so a head waited at the six months stop corresponding with this individual and I have not been on any other so what what was it was with this person he was just a brand. What follow up yesterday we recognize a hell become brands with. Like that how does it have as that happened they are seeking hey up. He needed help balling some legal documents so they can reach out to whoever they want to. Am I fine he'd asked me to look into his case. So there's no communication bear there from an inmate to just anyone with outside world they they can they couldn't have the again I may be getting into questions more for the departments i'll i'll i'll start yellow say both questions for the department you have. Father from his bill okay representative barrier recognized for a question. Just two real quick ones so the the great that that you're received as that funded by someone affiliated with a gang or the new area and empire. No sir she doesn't actually have anyone even incarcerated in this side of arkansas occasion just one follow up mr chairman. So we are establish it you attempted to visit the leader of the new area and empire have you ever tried to visit the leader of the crips down there or the serena thirteen. You have one that you've tried to visit was the new area. He happened to leave thank you. Representative scott you recognized for a question thank you mister chairman what was your name and ledina bettle okay thank you for being here I think my question is i'm trying to figure out how a group. That's a affiliated with white supremacy how do you adequately advocate for the needs of minority mates regarding medication mental health overcrowding in misconduct price staff i'm missing the correlation because we alliation so we don't know the affiliation for advocating form necessarily. We don't ask are you affiliated that's like a something we don't ask and sell. We don't help my hitting. No no no. The. You recognize okay maybe your misunderstanding mine question if your group is known to be associated with white supremacy. And you are not profit that's allocating. Or mates these four hundred families that you represent. How do you adequately advocate for minorities if your group is affiliate it will supremacy and regardless to medication. Health care other step you mention we are not affiliated or not we are not while ago you can. And it might be misinterpretation while ago you confirmed your affiliation will wait supremacy. I think I think I think her son is with okay okay because I was really confused though you're saying your group is not affiliated with white we're not affiliated with any groups in there. Okay thank you saying no further questions from committee members metally make excuse from the table. The. Signed up speaker next year's. Murray last night buried your. Morris. You watch our steps to table is like the max already own we would have done a buy yourself to the committee and who you represent and in your recognized to like stay my name is alvard is murray I represent reform groups with states for real effective forms of rehabilitated metering god is rebuilding out of potential in universal purposes it is a prison reform abbas group and i'm here today because my would you get little closure to the market I might hear you but i'm have a little trouble when we repeat it again my name is albert is murray I am the founder director of reform group with stands for real effective forms of reabilitative methoding god is revealing automated potential universal purpose it is a prison abbase group and i'm here today behalf on behalf of the amazed currently accustorated. I received a fidelist centers in nineteen ninety one the same day that president clinton was inaugurated as president as a total thirty one years in arks out apartment of corrections I have seen every single factor of the argos out of parliament corrections from our levels i'm here today to state that it is a common fact that we identify with as inmates that when it comes to medical treatment mental health treatment basic human right treatment of mates we suffer because the system is organized in a manner in met it that come in practices when they fall down the latter from the heat at the bottom but term it reaches the bottom it is no longer like the system is set up to be but time we receive it at the unit we're going to suffer some mispractices we're going to suffer some inadequacies work on a suffer firm people are not doing their job we're going to suffer from people having a basic attitude that we are in mates we are inconsiderated we committed the crime so we do not deserve basic rights basic human treatment and basic for our practices and we face those daily when it comes to the level of the unit you're dealing with personnel and people who have individual beliefs and their beliefs are that they can come inside these buildings and they can place their personal beliefs upon us in that they filled the date of me to treat us right then i'll need to treat us fairly and that they don't need to respect the fact that we have a human right to have these things that are said in place such as memorial services and medical services I want to prison in I was nineteen and I think I got out when I was thirty five. And went back to years late india four years and got back out dear four years and went back out india to more incompleted my time and eighty c on my senate in nineteen ninety four and ninety five when they first opened born a supermarks I was one of the inmates that they hear people in select to. Test out in this eighteen month program when I work there took a max as seen the adc receive a shipment of military wise military weapons so it is. Star green aids hang renewed concursion brenda's military wise stone guides mace rubber bullet site does rubber bullet here goes uh twelve foot shop but turns they stick in the sale in vinyl supermarks in that soul was basically a psychological and mental health testing of a program in. For eighteen months I wished in mates literally lose their minds wiping these own walls screaming yelling holdering i'm controlled about fits of raid and I would see the officers go to the door to to a four second part to trap the door hand grenade in there in in a bears of seventy four inmates and you're hearing a. Grenade go off that sake the entire bears. These grenades and went off on a regular basis for eighteen months because this area was dealing with the inmates they walked around to each door and they feel it out a report would they observed everything that was going on with the and in those reports I wonder that who get those reports at the end of the was eighteen months about those seventy four inmates and what was the result and what was the finding what did they come up with in their testing because it showed them that these individuals and when put up on a certain treatments will break metally psychologically they will file it into. A dispartial character while they are cost rated in there you release these inmates and they have been met to the deproved of rehabilitator service for his metal when I went the prison I was nineteen and a woman did interview me at their moment she said that there were no recommendations from mental health programs for me when I got the prison about the idea about sixteen years I wrote one day through the minute health personnel and asked for meno health counciling and minor health treatment they told me that I was not a son by the medical staff that they did not have any treatment for me they cannot do anything for me and there was nothing that the middle hail power office could do for me so that was denying me any type of mental health programs in the type of mental health services in the type of minor health treatment. While going to address the area nason brother there are a number of affiliated groups within arts out upon the corrections. Medical tree mit mental health issues in our type of prison reform does not general rate based upon wind particular group. The area and brotherhood is not a group that is the threat to argue so the public race in the know I can tell you that. Because I have lived with these individuals step societies individuals walked in and did your call worked out wouldn't play basketball with him in everything there is no such thing as a racial problem in arts out upon the christian because we all were white. We all apart the same thing and when you send us me to doctor upon the christmas with a number of one zero four four six then including me with every year and the mate that was since with the number from eight nine other way to seventeen thousand. I am steel weather black or wait someone sinners both state a bark and so to serve a senate and inserting that sinners the state of bargain so has guaranteed that I will receive proper medical treatment proper minute health services proper treatment as a end of visible and within my thirty one years that added that received that. In I can state that now there are countries in the videos and malvern borner tucker tucker mess comments I to talk river. No as saturday on it breakdowns. Those ambassador steel suffering. They're still found and grievances those grievers are being found without mere it there still complaining about medical treatment they're still complete climb prior about mental health treatment there are still complaining about medications because this is a problem and no one is going to address the problem where his company constantly going to be looking at what somebody's affiliated with. Those problems are not going to be sob if we are constantly arguing with each other about smile deans. The bigger pita is is that we are need to come together as humans and really take a look at a serious thing that is being addressed it is someone crying out for a help and that's where may be started organization because I knew four fact that there are thousands of inmates in architect department of correction right now that screaming for someone else. To really pay attention to something there may be small to earth but it's large I was diagnosed with had blurred pressure while I was at the boring supermarket they put me on some medication that was called htc this medication when they put me on it I could be land down. And if I got up to son by time I took a step from my beer and made it to my door in a five bus seven sale I will lose control on my entire body file completely back. I can function so i've vowed agreements in a said that the medication was too strong and I want to be taken off the medication they told me that I can not be taken up and met a case because it was a prescribed by the doctor and I had to take before and unlimited amount of term now when they brought the medication to my door at the debt are refused to take it. I will receive a designer for failure to take prescribe made a case so that it's literally forcing me to take medication that it's causing me to lose fart into my entire body that was never addressed until I found a grievance in when i'll wait to the process of taking it to the wood and the director it had to be at the student sit down by the director for them to take me out then medicine by their time it was four months because it took a hundred and twenty days for their to come back. So I was either receiving this in there is one out there and other when every time I receive the refuse to take their medicine or I was being forced to take it the alpha will come to my door with the medication in standard with the medical person now and tell me you're going to take this medicine in about refuse you are going to be ring the distinct and you are going to go to the whole for thirty days and then you come back out and we're going to bring the medication to you everyday while you are in the whole in if you refuse it just another disarian of the dismay and other distance these are the type of things that in the business or complaint about it may seem simple to us but if you live it is more than just something that's simple earlier the focus will more on the affiliation with a group. There are many groups in the state of arkansas data incosted there are many people that feel aid with crips blurt the cycles by slowest area nation you have most of them you have christians you have catholic you have buddies you have all of these in the business when the I thought upon the correct but no one groups would be single out as a group that says just because you're associated with their group that discredits. Which are speaking on she can be affiliated with us in unblack. Area nation group is wiped I have friends that are area nation I have in the business that I love like brothers never area nations because I see and I saw individuals there were affiliated with their group go firm being one minute. To open man in when I say up a man I mean that they associate an affiliated with the human side of individuals because they saw that what they were part of what they were being and doctor needed into was that something that they carried within their body as a human being. You can help pictures in tether tools in it interrupt you but there's thirteen other people signed up to speak with the problems we want to hear what you have to say but we need to get to the point address what the issue is and I don't want to cause you on that because there's a lot of people waiting to set it that you're and we want to give them opportunity and i'm i'm close with this today I don't want to say it is. Take the term today. And individually. Just look into something. I see where took a finance of don't take my word don't take nobody worse research your own research is the best thing. Take a look into it take a time out to say well let me really look in let me start and find and see what I can come back with myself so I can make my own opinion in the judgement not based off what my colleagues somebody else thinks the field but let me do it myself so I can see ben line and say well I did the work necessary to find out the information that I need to find out do not thank you for let me add his moment in time to tell you any questions from committee members of representative god dollars you recognize for a question they must chair I believe you said that you had been incarcerated multiple terms is that correct yes sir okay so the per mistreatment did that start the very first time that you were incarcerated it started the very first time when I walked into dogs on apartment racing a walked into tougher unit and the barriers at their time you had a hundred and fifty in the mid in the biddles in wine bears and the bears were so close that I can reach out my hand and I can use you close to be as war so what what was it that. I'm i'm just trying to think if it were if it were that bad must figure myself like i'm going to do everything I can to not go back. So it seemed like maybe it wasn't as bad. You didn't think it's bed in man going back multiple times what what was it that caused you to keep going back and rising a visit a ten consider return to a previous pattern of behaviour special criminal habits. When I came to prison I was nineteen when I left I was thirty five the first time you can answer your question I didn't let him answer the quote I left with inadequate skills. I left with improper training reabilitation and knowledge to function in a society I had a disconnect with my family I had a disconnect with society I had a disconnect with falsening in a normal limit situation because I had been locked up for sixteen years institutional and adapted and just into a normal setting that was not normal I was released a prepared and for two years resident billing states the study of arguments are states that in mays that are released within one to three years return because of resident is and tennessee. I got out out of sixteen years nineteen to thirty five I had no idea of what to do up for a release. So it was basically a figure it out no by experience day by dating and if you fail your own perol with conditions I went back to prison for the first time because of resident to travel meaning that I cannot move from the resident doubles on my paperwork I cannot move from their residence and see unless I was approved by my parolous but I was in a situation in relationship to where I had to leave a constant there because it was hazardous to my freedom so I moved in when they found out I moved without that in them no I was both a sim back to the prison because of a balance in the map around conditions see these other things that we do not take to account the individuals face once they're released the first seven days the first twenty four hours seven days in the first thirty days are a period of time that individuals will fan whether they're going to have stability family support instructions by natural backing out security and things that are native you know have none of those. Returning to prison is evident for all of us because the system does not provide admit it's in avenues this while prison reform is so be because there are no real methods and avenues provided by the perot system once we release it's basically a you need to find your own way if figure it out on your own and if you fail then the consequences are you're going back to print so it took me two terms the third time it was over for me because I asserted enough time to actually reabilitate myself in my man i'll change this in I was an old language subject to the child who trauma's the disfunctional practices that I grew up we and I had to change a lot about how I conduct myself as a. So they can be from going back and then on thirty time I went back I went back in literally start it to help others change embedded damage a formulated program in arts on a problem to create a car to reform group program and there was established they are born in two thousand five so that program really helped me learn how to navigate myself and real benefit take myself to not go there and I haven't been back. Thank you that attributes but representative does you have okay thank you. The hammer you recognized for a question. The commission I just want to clarify what I thought I heard you see a well go and thank for your testimony this afternoon II got the indication that you said there was not any racial tension or there was an a racial interaction as far as what black on wider white arm black in the in the prison system damage I stand you are just you you heard me correctly that is dissipated greatly from nineteen ninety one two thousand twenty three. In nineteen ninety one as a different metallic different aspect in environment of it conservation in you had a lot of wage the the various of the t and c's racial problems in issues but it's time progressed that degressed into unity and with unity came we were also to the same treatment it does not matter what color you are what you affiliate with your all subject to the same treatment so that's where in destroyed that racial tension okay I want to respect their way to come behind you so far wish to show you blatant example that they rate on race attack you wouldn't agree that that happened. I'm i'm not going to disagree that it's not happening that it won't happen that is not that it hasn't happened but what i'm seeing in nineteen ninety one it happens frequently. Today that's not happening as frequently as the back there are thank you. The. Treasurer clark irrecognized thank you mister chair. I have not heard a better analysis of some of the problems are including residentism and why it happens and I didn't hear excuse making a heart of careful analysis. Have you replied for a pardon now I was a discharged last year. Completely free of massing and did all the time there was an allowed it to me and I was given a discharge where I was no longer a part of the system I think you should I hope you do a plot for a part of the restores all of your rights and I hope that if we would ever have some kind of task force to look into these things I think you should be on it do you agree agree totally thank you saying no further questions from committee members was move appreciate testimony before this committee was on an approval appreciated debit biker. Spoke if you were just have seen their detail of leave the marks already on I will remind you there are still about twelve thirteen people still the test bar so please consider that during your test to money but you're recognized in a buy yourself to the committee who you represent in your recognized my name is debbie baker and i'm representing my son who is incarcerated. And if I may. I would like to address senator barry and let you know massage is not affiliated with area nation. Massage became incarcerated in march of two thousand and nineteen. Take it make a long story short I adopted him as a nearby. And lighter found out that there was a series of mental health problems from his biological family. I went and i've got all the medical records where I tried to get him addressed but anyway. He got a dated. And the substance abused to a legal activity and he went into the system and march of two thousand and nineteen. And that from that day forward our laughs have been changed forever. Not only in mates are the same and shouldn't be a treated as such. But no one wants to hear that because. The public. Scenario is they get what they deserve they break the law they get what they deserve when they have no idea what goes in south gazarn inside those walls are personally have tried to contact. Numerous people at their issue it. The warden at the barner unit I think it's help gibson as he's called. Actually cask me out and hung up on me. I was filling so helpless not being able to do anything for my son. That. I researched one night because I was literally in tears I found this group and they had basically saved mount they've saved my laugh because I feel like i'm not the only one going through this anymore I have a support system. Masan needs a support system which he doesn't have because he has not allowed the proper mental health treatment physical house treatment and. I even had an occasion where I was so concerned for a safety because when he first went in he was asked are you affiliated. And it's either you can form to affiliation and go by their guidelines. Or you suffered the consequences. Long story short he gathered is things at after a short time in prison. And walked out refusing to go back into general population. And from that point on his life has been eleven nightmare as well as mine. He has been baiting had a speed tampered with and has been called a bag it. Which is profiling and threatened with his life and had his had mail intercepted and read all out in the presence of other inmates. Books that i've ordered for him. Taking and passed out among others in mates he's been labeled as a **** in the worst particular one yet as when an officer told him that he knew where alive. If he couldn't get taking him. An excuse the language and get the **** woman that they said they were going to put on him. They would come for me. And right here. Is a police report I filed with my local police department. Because I had a threat made against me from a person I have never met in my life. And that angers me to know if he's doing that to somebody he's never met what is he doing into these people he's overseeing. That he supposed to be upholding the law. And he's breaking the law. And found out. That were they in just a few months just a few months month ago. This particular officer. Was a rested for domestic balance. And it was the third time that they had been called on him and to find out that he lives within just a few miles of my house and had my address from receiving letters that I had written my son. I called a chairplane one day. Two add on even need these notes I called a chaplon check because I was concerned for my son's welfare. I hadn't heard from him in a while and he was polite he said yes may i'm assuming as I get freedom i'll go down and check on. Oh who wait and check on in my right he went down and tell them boy you need to call your mom because i'm tired of these mamas column are worried about their baby boys and he did that within an ear shot of a lot of other inmates as well as correctional opposers. And in this system what I have learned. From talking to the people are refusing to be talked to. I have even called mr paint's office and he refused to talk to me. He refused to respond to me. I have called several other enerties I found one I l in this whole entire system. That has listened to me and as far as these beatings and it's paid being tampered with. The. That was proven I was I was told at first and you will have to excuse my language but i'm putting it to you like it was put to me when I accused them of tampering with his food and i'm talking beacle matter you're in rocks whatever they could find to put in it. That that was horse ****. And I said maybe it was I don't know. And the thing is this when you have mental illness. Are you going to do this play and a seed. In it throughout the mason last forty pounds and less than two months because he refused to eat he was afraid to eat. The. And. Out to the one hour ahead and verified that what I was saying was the truth. And he was immediately transferred to another unit but the problem therein lies as it the rumor mail between the unit. Rant rampant like a wildfire. And before he even got to the next unit they knew the issues that were happening at the other unit that he was leaving. So it can the provider the privacy continues. You know he's not a balanced person. He doesn't instigate balance. But. He's willing to find a setting when my life was threatened or I was threatened. He he did dash and officer and I don't know if you're familiar with the term but that's when he has the caparable and he splashed throughout it all I had was a trap hole he was in restrictive house and he's been in restrictive housing for over three years I haven't seen him had a visit with him or anything in over three years. I'll have to emotional support has been cut up all he gets is a letter saying i'm issues and I hope you're doing well. That's not enough. And the department claims that they support and then it's a good idea to have that family support system. Two be an emotional support to them. How can you do that when you're restricted from it. I'm being told by other individuals because of disciplinaries which three four seven are just bogus when he was at a place in a single man say on. Explain that to me you know I don't know how that can happen how can you be out of place when you're in a sale with a steel door with a trap on it to slide food how can you be out of place. And it's just at so many different things refusal to go into general population because he has he has had his laughter in he has a target on his back in that has been admitted. And because he didn't go with the program of the cripes. Is the gain that he supposed to leave affiliated with after he got in. And I know that what i'm saying is all over the place but I could some of the comments have heard in here today it angers me that it's racial profaming or gang profiling because that's not the issue we're here for we're here for the protection of our left once and yet they did their committed crimes but they're not the scum of the earth or at least not all of them are. And they shouldn't be treated as such but when you're denied medical mental health and other treatment in favour that you can you're not afraid to eat. Because. I'm gonna get graphic for a minute miss biker i've under you to rapid up that fine sport that good we got to add for a question you are reported to scott to recognize. Thank you mr chair you cleared up one of my questions when you've mentioned that he was getting disclinaries so that's why you're prohibited from seeing him that was gonna be my question while aren't you able to see him but I understand exam i'm familiar with that because the ten years is that every time he gets a disciplinary. It adds another thirty sixty ninety days whatever. To his restriction his first story getting restrictions when he walked out of general populations in every time he opens his mouth he gets another one so he is an restrictive housing now until twenty twenty seven. Does that tell you that's my only son and I am not the state of arkansas going to tell me that i'm not allowed to talk to him i'm not allowed that they are setting up I am sixty six years old I could be dead before I get a business with my son. And i'm sorry but that is much humane treatment. When you're taking people in your kind of mile from everything that could possibly improve their senate or improve their attitude towards our senate. When you deprove them of everything that they've ever known in their laugh their loved ones. Me and his father does that's not rehabilitation in any shape or form. At period that is just. Mr chair can I have one one more question we recognized I know you said he was being abused and experiencing things from staff and. Other. People in the present system is he still receiving experience and also things at the new prison yes. The. No brother question. The. Charter clark you recognize. Thank you assuming that. All of what you've had to say is entirely correct and i'm not told but you not believe in its correct. The. In even eighty percent of it is and I think there's a good chance it is. You understand that the department of corrections is dealing with every person in there is someone who wouldn't follow the rules outside. Sixteen thousand yes but they wouldn't follow the rules outside so they have with that group of people started any group of people you understand that they that they have to institute some fairly strict rules. And so i'm gonna ask you if you have any suggestions because they've got to be getting calls from practically everyone. And how do I will be asking you how do they separate that because I have a friend. Who's been there big part of his life and you know not too long ago his mother thought it elderly mother who have no normal lock though he was going to be getting out of good behavior and she he had her believe in all this and I checked into it and he's in which at your son all this might be eighty percent hundred percent true. He just he's getting this money just because he does and exohed it he wasn't nearly as close to being eligible to get out is what he was telling his mother but they they're having to deal with all of these things coming from outside and they're there to make sure that they're keeping things running smoothly so how would have you got any suggestions on how they can tell the difference. The matter because I i'm trying i've said a couple things kind of tough on the amount I want to come back on the other side how how would they tell the difference between legitimate things that are happening to your son and complaints come and just generally from family that may not really know what even they're talking about. Well dense that there is a good question because. I have no idea what's going on inside that place. You know I know what i'm told. And I try to get information to either dispute it or apartment. Okay II just I was hopeful get any answer I was hoping maybe had a suggestion maybe somebody else will because I wasn't getting on to you I just drunk point out that there's two sides and they have a very tough job to do but thank I just adult hate to thank that massage has to decide whether or not he wants to eat as food because of it being tampered with the understand i'm not in like said i'm not saying that that you're you are here illegitimate i'm just saying others are and they how do they sift through it is all i'm asking if you've gone down as you recognize for a question. A motion of property for me here you motion. Since we've been in here for now going on over and I have make motion to to limit make to five minutes part of person. That is a. Parper motion it is nine debatable all in favor of say I all oppose they know as it. Well glad you would. You set the time or is each one comes to the table you have five minutes. Oh that will not include a question in answers because that's the committee controls that but they'll be the time you have to make your presentation at the table sent to hamburger do you still have a question for that you recognized. Have you ever received. Information regarding the have you ever received personal information about prison staff or about other inmates from the group that you're affiliated with his aimbody within your group ever pushed to you information unlike where. Off where prison personnel lives or anything along that line or on other other orangine mate no. Okay thank you so you know further questions thank you for your time for the appreciate your time thank you next is ballary here's his hairs. Yeah. So as you would just have seen their table looks like the max already own if you would identify yourself to the committee and who you represent it i'll remind you that you probably heard the committee just made it to make a presentation that will not include any question or answers by this committee as I say we control that time not not to bad management that you're so beword to identify yourself and make you state how my name is valery here is an i'm a member of low first initiative and reward a grass route organization non profit there is just coming up. An urr objective is to. Get some type of program together that will help it makes it come home to as the married described to help them become you know product a citizens help them get jobs up and find housing and so forth and also representing my husband who is currently incarcerated in our arkansas department of corrections. A lot of times. The cycle of abuse for airs and arkansas department of correction ranges from emotional variable and even physical which is where he didn't rarely see and hardly ever report it. And regardless of if it's physical mental or even verbal it's always justify it by adc and I love ones are often me to feel useless. And the example the given in my test the money today is the incident that happened with my husband a few years back. He developed a pinch nove and he wouldn't to the medical staff to complain about the issues in the pain that he was happened in his back he was told he was arm thanking the paying and he even come. Even came to the point of where he was in a wheelchair and on visitations when he would come out he would be shaken and sweating because of the paying and it got to the point to where he was attempting to come down the steps from the higher level tier till the lord levertier is layer gave out and he failed down the stairs at that point is when they said he needed to have a mr. And the injuries set his back where sell severe he had to have immediate back surgery and due to the lack of medical treatment that he was given because it took so long to have the best soldier he now has permanent know of damage and chronic back pain and the medication that he was once prescribed for that back pain in their numbers he has now been discontinued so he has to deal with the numbness and the ting on this and stuff the umm he and doors from the nerve pain. And I mean there were other issues there out wanted to discuss more because of the time restraint. I just leave it at there. We still have three minutes late now i'll know to buy when the bad managers one of the other issues is arm the training like when it mates are in carcarated if they have a certain amount of time then they can't do vocational training and. I believe that just like when they come in to adc if they don't have their hospital to plumb or gd they're forced to go to score why not have them go to vocational training so they can get a trade during their time incarcerate instead of it being towards the very end um. You know of their time that they have been sentenced. So that's of the gay any question from committee members. Say no take free test volume for this committee you can be excused signed up next speaker before the committee is. The. Yes you're recognized what yeah I sure need you to yeah thank you. The world just have seen the max already own just denied by yourself to the committee and who you represent and I appreciate you help them out with a name and i'll remind you padment in storage now thanks sir yes sir my name is lame not saying and I just get you all a brief period previous huawei am a formally a car so rated individual when I was seventeen years old I was given a life and apparently it's an arkansas department of a correction our ultimately there twenty eight years and eleven minutes of of that in consolation I was free in two thousand and eighteen and i've been all up and doctor me around society since then so i'm here today on behalf of not only myself but so sad and I think you know it's just important as we have this conversation a day in a lot of the rate that I have heard today I think it's important that we treat each individual wall as human beings. That ever ever want desire to be treated humanely no matter what they position you have sent life. Arm. And I think we got away from there today. We got bogged down on rather person is about the area and brotherhood in all about their own there shouldn't even matter we still look at the marriage of what is a presented. Yes. If individual was are being mistreated and arkansas department correction is a complaint level. There we should look into the complaint. Period. Soul my position else that we must be fair phone and also consistent in humane with the treatment of the individuals who are inconservated. And will we get away from that day it takes for a music. From from us as human beings. When our first guy to help to can a bale southwest miss valley rejects shared which you you all about the educational programs of the lack of in arkansas department are correction as I say it outside twenty eight years in eleven months have been conservation and was enabled to get an inaccount a vocational programs. And when I was released. I went to college I be at a two year program get my degree at a state university. My representative with error mister laden in mister way who work at my arm i'm a model I was fortunate enough to be able to do that there are now pre shaped opportunities I hate when I went out there was released but if these opportunities would have been afforded to me when I was in conservative. I would hate two more years of productivity in front of me instead of having the gold goal to go to school so it's issues like that there that we must look into is also issues or with. The help the mental health and also the physical here. I was in case rate in for ten years I had a in grown hernia. And because i'll be calls that it will encourage up on the state I was enable to get that earning removed into that the ten years winner when they are a certain helps they off came on in evaluating me and seen that it was obvious explaining it herney I think that's what it was referred to she had mercy all message waiting is sent me out to outpatient surgery to get the surgery now but for ten years. For ten years going back and forward to the infirmary in they knew the problem I was unable to get that fixed list things like that though that gas wine conservative a complain about in it it makes no different who you are if you want costs or if you award at the state you should be able to head out those type of issues fix and I think everyone are deserves to be given appropriate education because I believe that the same and it created the problem which landed you in president can't fix the problem so we have to you know what i've seen in part of more healthy information with the gas that we have in conservative and thank you guys for allowing me to share my testimony is all most own the money good time and eat a grocery from committee members she knows thank you very good question central guatemala is awesome testimony and we appreciate you come and insure in it. And. I agree the education needs to be a part of that real meltation. But thank you did it that they're that way you get the education up to a high school level that's what we guarantee is a state. There are they also is on earth is individuals that you are a citizens. And and that in I want the man to be used while you're there and you know if you want to go beyond that high school level have have library reason and that thing that resource that you can use to to further your education to get ready once you get out to be to go into those trades and stuff but I don't want our system to be. College or boat it I don't I don't want that I want them individual to straight for that just like. All of all folks are now sad you might make it. The old that they went and work for that when I on their own and made that decision whether you and the system are coming out of high school or coming out of our prison systems but the high school equivalents are in and that level of education is definitely. That that needs to be part of that. Young system but but beyond that. Is up to us and you did it and I appreciate that now thank you for your test monitor today so you're repeated to scott repairs question for you replace you recognize thank you mister chair I have a question regarding mental health and I and I also want to share something so as a minority woman in this group if it came across as as having questions and being focused on the wrong thing that's definitely not the case as a black woman no matter who contacts me i've had periods from all across the state contacting me saying their child is nat receive a medicine and it could be a grow man but he's not received a medicine as I saw unit and i've always had a good relationship with extra pain in the staff to our call on anybody's behavior I don't care what color you are what you represent because so I don't I don't want it to get misconstrued with the conversation in what you're thinking here in a crowd today because. Honestly if you are still affiliate it would awise a primacy group if somebody from your family reaches out to me i'm a do what I can with the department of corrections to work on whatever issues your family brought to me so we're doing our job just asking questions because it does matter when people bring us information up here the question years the mental health I keep here in a lot of mental health do a lot of the off your like over the years they currently right now we don't have the middle health resources that we need. To address the mental health crisis that might be taken place in the present because right now i'm here from the first guy who gave his testimony to right now is mental health issues with everybody this step that I said at this table and so i'm trying to figure out as a state. I'm not going bargain down and stuff it's just been there i'm thinking about the issues that the first person say it from the middle hill to the medication to the misconduct a staff but do we might have financially the resources in your opinion in our presence to address the mental health issues that are prisoners are facing no man we we we are not addressing the men a health ages. With the gas white and cars rated in our goys for a say. The wars who are released also we're not addressed in the wholesale if anyone spans. The. Argos is forced to say yeah I might in castle rate it. There's a traumatic of it. And they need some men are help. Counseling when they are returned until our society soul with the gas war presently and caster rate. You have individuals who have spontaneous fitting euros in a six bad night sale. They are business attires to the human touch. And when they are returned in these are the same individuals who are returned into the society. So we need to start addressing those issues so round and mount a health and now present. Sigh spader before I saved twenty eight years and eleven might submit conservation. How many times if you think i've seen a mental health professional. In anta washington went on. When I was interested I went through a minute healthy valuation in fact the rest of my time I never been to a men a health professional. When I see this was a reduced to forty years that I had the twenty eight years are eleven months of inconservation I walked right out the door. Were any without any manner of the evaluation without any parole anything it just was like okay you did you be at a time you in the world. Thank god I had a strong support group. And I think I was wanted to fortune once the fortunately was there really had. The. My manner helped in ten days not to say that I don't I don't need to be on someone's couch also because i'm not and that you need you no one saying i'm affect about a car short system also. But I had a strong support system so in assing your question yes we can do much more surround the mental health in our present system thank you yes ma'am got a couple more questions for you so representative ladyman you are recognized for a question thank you mister chairman I voted for you now thank you for being here and thank you for your story and thank you for your successor be an example what can be done but my question search a clark ask the question earlier about there's two sides to stories and you don't have you may not want to answer this and if you don't i'm fine with them but you're experienced in your experience inside are there people who make these requests to take advantage to gain advantage. You know making false. Request about health and mental net sort of thing that does that happen and does it happen often and again if you don't want to answer that I understand I will have a promous in as far as you know the are often so you know just human nature you know you have those who are are owners in those who do not want to make business year claims. But. On it that I can ask in that canada the ebc is to really do a thorough investigation of the claims. And go from there and add yourself happen though a warn strong I was it's several illness that he was toward washington title now i'm a scroll. Debited a record now I never had a problem out out of missouri strong as for has been unfair to me. So. My point is this here on mr scroll. How many are institutions is in the arkansas department of correct and things about eighteen institutions he can't cover if you are institution so to just blame they say that the adc isn't a practice in some type of. Neglect you know what i'm saying that would be that wouldn't be in an intellectually honest own missile strong nor myself just like the question it you are it would have been in electorally honest of me to say now they know files claims that it be bullshit. So just by me being intellectually honest I would say like this i'm a take the miller ground yeah you have some all claims when marriage and you have some claims that don't have married. Is. His response will be a little in a responsibility to staff and the responsibility of this this this panel to we about what is in what a. See we can now I must say this here I think it was really this respectful of you for the adc. Two problem the a brother who the bar mitchell because we got bargain and then so let's get back to the issue and hand in without these claims that are individuals are making within the adc if we're talking about the nutritious issue issues less do this because three times out of the week to abc when I was and carcerated will speak in this meal called box meals is the do they have an in a nutritional value. Or are these meal that they call groom. Where they take out the left over and cook him in a call drim in freedom and with those that were gasoline on behavior a control due to having in the treasure nutritional value or are we treating individuals like they saw humans because I will need to do that there it's a matter. Feed him left overs are at a scratch room a couple days old so these are some of the issues that individuals make complaints about. Planetary tucker you're reckon as for question. Thank you mister shared thank you for being here today with us your testimony witness think it's very valuable for us to hear it I want to just follow up on minimal health which we've talked quite a bit about today yes or. In my judgement the the need for mental health services in prison is. Extreme and I want you to check me in and tell me if if i'm if you if you agree or disagree but one reason I believe that is because. A lot of people who are incarcerated are there in large part because they have a middle east issue you you agree with that argory. And then on top of that and and this is a point that you really may even if you walk into prison. One hundred percent mentally healthy with your mental health fully attacked if you spend a certain number of years and a six month answer then experience the things that you experience on the inside you're going to need to do some mental health work. At some point when you get now no matter what was that fair too yes sir it's because that am I would almost contain that. Our priority is a state for middle health services is really hard for people who are incarcerated then probably just any other segment of our society because that's where a lot of people with the most severe mental health issues and up is in prison because of their mental health issues. You agree with all that I used to be contacted wire all right. And someone my last thing is just I really I think that the department is far as mental health goes does about as well as they can do with the resources that they have been provided so to me that's really it's less on the department to step up to the play and provide those resources for mental health and it's more on the state legislature to provide those resources and I hope that your testimony and the test money brothers here to days compells us to make those investments when we move forward in the future so thank you for your time thank you. Say nope other questions from committee members thank you for your test modem before this committee you can be excused. President next only found up his melissa hooper is hooper. The. Temperature site shater at the table the max already own if you would identify yourself for the committee and who you represent and watch you've done there to have minutes as a remander in your time to start at that I am a list I hope I am with low first initiative and. Arkansas apartment of corrections family support. I'm also a lcsw in the state a loss and clinical social worker. Yeah. So many my garb said minimal health issues in the state so. So thanks all and talk about it was. Just and listening I really didn't plan on testifying but. Some changes that could be made is when trying to determine if the claims are false or not. Um. Officers or correction officials wearing body counsel. Could be something that you can see for yourself. That way when these issues arise. It's right there on camera um. Another thing. The. Whereas the middle health crash is in arkansas as most of you know. Our state hospital is super smart and we only have one. So lot of other sites I think texas has four or six state hospitals so like you said a lot of individuals that deal with middle health issues instead of being able to obtain a treatment like they made in the community they end up in prison. You talked about the resources to that the prisons have i'm sure the prisons are sort short on research sources as most state agencies are however when it comes to your more severe minimal illnesses like schizophrenia effective disorder and stuff like that they need a lot more than just made management. You can't just give them medication and expect the to deal with the helicinations or the delusions that they experience and a lot of those guys that are in the supermarks that they talked about a restrictive housing they deal with I think lot of them in some of the ones that i've spoke with. I might not have heard middle illness going in but after being an oscillation like that nice start holy scenario a lot of times within days of being in there. That's about all I got. The. Thank you any questions from committee members. Say none misrepredected free test more reporters committee excuse precious term thank you signed up next speak for the committee as chester by. Which bargain would just have said there to table the mac's own just to do the buy yourself to the committee who you represent i'll remind you how far manage the recognized when my name is church to find. I'm here representing myself along with the hard result of family support group. Yeah. When I got a lot of. And twenty two thousand three. I made it out adc and. I don't three and a half years my lawyer told me. You would add to three years four months come out. That's exactly what happened. When you go in to a facility our brother. Work there at a little tougher my nephew worked in little took for day required. When you go into a facility. It's your mindset. Yeah but massive just because you make a bad choice allowed to make you bad person. We look at things. Through. Rose colored glasses at times. I got injured at california rock. I stepped in a hole on the yard. The. My ankle swelled and went to the infirmary. They told me so well this is spraying. Well it kept hurt me kept hurt me kept hurt me and I go back to almost a may look some draw i'm telling some wrong handle a work. Well they ship in a new port get some court his own shot. Took me able to new port give me a shot for his own sent me back. Nothing changed. Kept her and kept hurting. The. When you deal with pain. You get a little earning. She's like an old dog when you poke him and he's hurt your bike to. And. I come out of prison in two thousand nineteen. I went to a medical facility here in a little rock over here saint venson's hospital. They actually my foot and a s me said how long has your foot been this way. As a benefit for about two years. And he said you walked round like this he said you foots broken five different places. The. He's I got to do surgery to fix it. And a thing that I have my issue is medical. These people that are a locked up and car should read it in your art should apartment corrections they do not. Get the proper medical care that they deserve even when. The. Things are serious. It hurt me and I live now sometimes I fall. Because of my foot I feel just a little bit able to hear the other building or the e building. Come out of there and I stepped in my foot when I wanted me I hit the ground. The. And. A ride people up. For the issues. And once you start right in them up when I get you out of there because they don't want to mess with you. I studied. The lower. For four and a half years as has worked up. I couldn't walk down the prison hallways. Without somebody hollering on he wanted I need to help. I need to help. And I do everything I could help them in make no difference if he was quieter black hispanic. Makes no difference. Because we're all people. My issue is. Or my suggestion to you legislatures. Is to hold adc more accountable. For these injuries makes them. Take these people. Through the hospital. You know I get threatened again and biscuit area because they tell you that your work is all volunteer. You don't volunteer to give you dispenser. He'll lock you up and hold. You know. How do you wardens. One thousand. Down at marvon. One jackson he's over bricking it now. I don't was several of them worn who gives them was mentioned earlier. I wrote hook getting up on time. For rocking me up for something noted that he allows other people to do. I didn't call anybody in the inward. I just ask him why. Why is it. The. But these people can do it and you don't do anything. But yet these people do it you charge and whether hate crime. I don't hate anybody. Nobody. But I am willing to stop and listen to the issues. Help us out. If I will trying to see. Help us give us and our love ones who are locked up. Those people can't go to the doctor like we can't hear. They can't take mr ryan your terms up. Yeah. Is there any questions from the committee. Seeing none transferred over to chairman they served her sign up the think so excused they had no questions for you push each time thank you for your jam transpeak is run the. Rather for. Round rather. Scotty next on. Next is scotty rather. Scotty rather. Next only signed up is magain. Me. Is that me that's now check it's been mcveigh okay sorry all right your max own if you would just identify yourself to the committee who you represent romania five minutes at my name is making me i'm here with the arkansas department of corrections family support group. Umm and i'm a former incar trader person myself. I'm sorry our cam represent myself and all the people that are still care about that are still in the prison. The. Sorry really not risk okay so first I would like to total on the safety instantation inside the units. And so there are currently two female units in the state of arkansas make sure son and hockey's unit. Umm and then when I was there in twenty twenty I was at tucker injury which has since closed and the debt was a female unit as well and for as far as make fair send when I went to write this I tried to think of you know any issues I have always there and the biggest safety concern I would say is that the roof leaks and it's a not being fixed I ring the i've been a prison numerous times i've been three times starting in two thousand and thirteen and my last time I got out in twenty twenty one and the roof has leaked every time in fact I worked in laundry and we had to keep a stack of large water blankets because when the water would leak mops work sufficient to what mark up the water so we had to have old blankets that we would soak up the water with you can imagine the safety issues that that would bring about their also sanitation it's it's not sanitary to just let water like everywhere and just but a blanket down to soak it up and you know does not seem like a small thing but make version as a really large prison is it's huge in its throughout the entire prison it's a safety concern. The next issue on the speaker on is the lack of staff that are witnessed while was there hours chemical clerk which means I would go around from one housing unit to the other and deliver their chemicals and then at midnight I was talk I was given the task of going and picking up their empty bottles cause they couldn't just sit staying at in the units so. When I went one at two housing one there was a young male officer there who was visibly upset he was upset because there are supposed to be two officers on the floor and one officer in the um. The. In the boot above that can pop the doors open and staff and I never had enough staff to keep two people on the floor so he was the only person downstairs and he was in charge of six dorms that held roughly fifty six in rates each and he was van self down there he would work he told me that he worked twelve hours shifts almost every night without a break or and so when we talk about the mistreatment of inmates. Um you can imagine. How being a staffer in sad this prison without a lunch or a break would affect your mental health as an officer. And that gets take the inmates received the the blow back from that is what i'm trying to say umm and so if you if you want to come if you want to correct the problem it starts with ensuring that the step the prisons are staffed. To capacity not at sixty percent. The. So. The. The next thing I talk about is the prison policy concerning communication so arkansas apartment of corrections has one of the strictest communication policies in the country in a study down in twenty twenty one only three states pay higher rates for phone calls than arkansas or. Arkansas who was charging thirty one since per minute for phone calls. I did a bit of research and found out that currently love ones are paying nineteen cents per minute and their phone calls now allow for thirty minutes in that is an improvement but we can still do more massachusetts recently sounded bill that wouldn't make phone calls free for inmates and in michigan's phone calls are only seven cents a minute and they get one free phone call on mondays and I know that you're probably thinking why should we care if you don't want to pay you know phone prices for prison phone calls don't go to present well the people that are paying for these phone calls are not the rates it's the family members and so you've got you absorb your bad managers okay goes back that's it question from committee members. The recognition so the roof situation that'll be something that we might need to address error with the unit whatever we come back appear appreciate you bring in that in the will probably ask about the staffing also. With those things might have changed or returns thank you for your test money thank you thank you for listening. See no further questions thank you for your test mountain for this committee you can be excused sad up next is a sand or bright was branch computer do not want to test bar. Okay surrender your time to the others is. The. We're gonna down the last heather. The. Not sure of the last name. What okay you would just have seen the table. In bolton is that group yes ma'am i'm sorry about it just need to buy yourself to the committee represent i'll remind you how far minus you recommend esteem ladies and gentlemen of the congress and guess my name is heather and modem. I have a different point of view from everybody else here because I am a former corporal art more central unit in california. One of the edc academy I was the recipient of the world's age sergeant ward and I received academic excellent for my class. I'm currently a pin power than one of the inmates it more schedule and for the sake of simplicity I will call him mister john to motion what I will attest you will involve around him. I begin writing the mister jones after I lived the prison in my first letter to him was an apology. Because I was forced to write him up for going to chow it was during covered and my sergeant order him to move. And to a barracks that had already eaten which means that he would have been denied food for that day and while I gave him that order it was less than five minutes later that I gave the order for chair he left the barracks and got locked up. Three days later they also wrote him a major disciplinary for having weapons that were not in his. Property and I know that because I was one of two officers to retrieve his property because it was my birth so he was in. I have letters from him. If anybody would like to see them stating all of this and he would be the first to tell you that he didn't deserve to go to prison he knows that. He also doesn't believe that it should take thirty years for someone to learn a lesson. Um but. I would like to talk about the perol board I understand impression that governor sanders is pushing to build more prisons and I do not agree with that building more prisons is not the answer the adc is struggling to staff the prisons that already have and I can attest that because in between seventeen and nineteen I went to work for some overtime at vernor was some of my co workers. And there were only two people. There from the vorner unit the rest of the people there were from other units and there was barely enough to cover the entire unit itself and by that I mean like mismake me a tested to there was one officer covering several barracks. Um the biggest issue we have is over crowding an understaffing. Understaffing is a safety issue not only for the mate but for the officers. Since we don't have enough staff why can we not reduce the number of prisons and we can't do that because of overcrowding and this is a quote from my friend mr johnson. Into you is meant to house seven hundred and forty in meetings general population of fifty and isolation are currently eight hundred and seventy seven in may to hear. Just within the last two weeks or been that racks or beds added to the day rooms and eventually we will be at nine hundred and thirty five which is almost two hundred over the maximum. Um. There was a study done by the romania institute of criminal on criminal justice at the university of minnesota. And it found that the state of arks and soft failed on its parallel. According to the study promotes should have guidelines to help them make a biased per old decisions and guidelines should be made available to the public. You should as a governor in unit where you're constituent and you should be pushing for this reform there is no reason why we have. People who have a fallacy. For humanity making decisions that would be better made by a computer. Yeah. I had a whole speech here and because of the time restraint some. The handbook by the board have clearly state they are mandated to take training courses to make facts decisions based on facts and data in the case of my panpel mr johns. All of the facts were ignored he's been up for perol twice he's been denied twice he had no protest stations by the victims family he had several former officers right in support he has only received three disciplinaries in the last sixteen years of his twenty year incarceration his family had a place from the live he also had a job lined up and yet he's still getting the night parallel. And this is causing part of the overcrowding that we're seeing in our prisons. Unless the pro board is making a habit of adhering to a punitive approach rather than a real bilitative one would it not seem that after receiving one year to now and remaining exemplary in me that he should be allowed to go home. Yeah. Yes you're terminator okay thank you during questions from committee members. Say non prescheduled test voted for this committee you can be excused sad up next to speak is amber lance. The. Inside if you were just there about yourself to the committee and who you represent and the remind you probably heard it over and over you have that minutes in the. For due time the start wants to recognize in yourself recognize thank you representative tosh my name is amber lance and i'm here representing myself. And an inmate in the department of corrections. I met this nice group. Um online and that's how I found out about this meeting today and i'm very humble to be here thank you for having me. I'd I did have a a five page thing to say to all of you but do the time constraints i'm gonna go to the most important pieces. They don't want you to know. And I also wasn't able to make as many but I do have six folders here. Due to privacy. I'm i'm not going now i've decided not to after hearing all that it's going on today. Disclosed my inmate's name or his identification number but for any view representatives that would like to know. About my inmate feel free to take one of these. It has as picture of when he was a military guard. And also a guard in a correctional facility in albana. It also has a foia of his disciplinary. Reviews is movement in the three pound black units. Which your nine times. I am also a bill professional and I have been for twelve years. I see people when they come in the beginning before they ever go to eighty c so though the worst of the worst guys if they're heavily inflicted I probably know i'm in northwest arkansas I help many into recovery. And and you know that is really the vessel that drives. Me keeping this career at all as you know the laws of changed trying to do away with this but I am one of the good data do do gooders in my area that. Take more initiative to go to the next level and helping people into recovery I don't just write them out and get them out of jail I follow them all the way through the court process. And also into recovery if they seek it. I'm gonna not talk to you much about minimal health I think everybody's covered that you today but what I would like to talk to you about. Is the fact that we want to use a half billion dollars to build a prison that we in in the understaffing that we've all been talking about here. My and mate has done eighty percent of a sentence and was approved for parole in june. He's done eighty percent of a five year senate. In june on june thirteenth approved fully approved for pearl waiting to walk out the door six seventeen four days later. Threats were made on his life by group of about twenty different men. In the pine unit which is connected to the random williams unit as were you know in may hendrix died. Have you guys looked. At the statements made by the inmates that day. Because if you have it. I encourage you to. They're everything that is wrong with the daily actions. And adc. It's hope br. My mate has done like I said eighty percent of a senate. Five years in its. He's been in restrictive housing since june due to active death threats put on his life and then he regressed and disassociated due to mental illness. Doc's filled two acknowledged me. I have sent emails as tourney as a send emails senator greg leading. Has sent emails and called director paying himself. He is still not moved out of those units and he has not been released he has done eighty percent of the senate I want you to add up what it cost us to house as an archains and taxpayer. A mentally ill man locked in herself for twenty two hours a day that is already made pearl. The. It would take a five minute conversation. That is a costly debt from a classifications officer. This. That's a lot of many guys thirteen thousand dollars since he made pearl. If he flattens out as time till january twenty twenty five that numbers probably going to reclustered at twenty three twenty four thousand dollars that it's gonna cost arkansas taxpayers. Amasstown did it some of the things that i've heard today as set back here in this chair my eyes are just filled. In and i'm I hope that these people have touched you. I was very nervous about candidate they do to revaliation five okay together here. The. My inmates just like the rest of them his last weight he's mentally ill is stuck in the system they can't get out of with no help once he does. I hope that some of you somewhat. Dexter. User. I mean berlin may immediately direct comments to the committee not to this is my end your time is there any questions from committee members saying that thanks for test voting for those committee thank you you make sure this person on today's agenda the last one we have signed up is typically washington. There's the last one I have on the side if you're in attendance and the. For some reason I didn't care your name and staff know they opportunite speed last year tomorrow we hear today from. From anyone speaking of here before this committee other than the department of corrections miss washington if you would remind you of that minutes then apply yourself to the committee who you represent any five minutes a story and I missed it a washington will first level initiative every entry it just like everybody else is saying the metal health the food the guys have delivered conditions then at the departments of corrections are so visitation hours day there are still two hours they haven't went back to four hours in will you have these guys locked out they need time with their family two hours some of us travel two hours yesterday sear and we don't have much time to speak with them so their pretty much sounds that would I have to say I just hope like she said you guys take these serious because we love them they're here me just like we are no matter what they've done they're steer human they need to be treated as such. Thank you any questions from committee members. So you know appreciate the test voted for this committee. Maybe that closer wants add up speak with the stand department of corrections. Appreciate your being back at the table I know you've heard a lot test money day a lot different allegations and things from from test more than it was given here if you want a bike a closing statement or become me that you want to bake this would be the time to do it if not the more just go directly to the committee to see if they have any questions which all like to make any car made to this time yes a representative I don't want to clear up something there there was a misunderstanding that this group of solely represents the new earning and parent that is not true they don't solely represent them they represent multiple year meets and their families so I just want to clear that part of my concern with that with that security thread group they knew here in the empire of their gang is involved in multiple criminal activities and when their group gathers information shares that information with other inmates and their families that it causes security thread to must death as well as my sale i've been threatened by this group i've got pictures that are that the group has posted so those some of my concerns with the group they don't have solely represent one group but they are affiliated or deal with this particular group. Committee third closing car material by the department of corrections any questions from committee members. Ten to jargon you recognize would like to ask you the mcfearson women's unit the roof leaking. Is that a two state minerals that men resolve it. Yes so that is a true statement there was a a bad storm that came through make figures and it blew parts of the roof off at rams unit as well as being first yes sir that's true we've got a torted or come through their dead destroyed several of our mobile homes in their facility so yes sir that that he had been true with that has since been worked on incorrect that has been correct yes sir but but s is our facilities age we have the experience so we still have like said several of our facilities that we were going to get fixed what about the staffing levels what where where we at the state if you can address that and some manner II do agree they will issue a staff just like all department of corrections across the country we were very hard to try to get stay out there newport are you were seize addressing we're in a process now to want to eight training academy of mobile training account in new port that we families will have to travel to our training to care to me in england to get the staff built up there yesterday we are sure staff that we are working to correct issue what I mean what percentage do you think you are across the board in the state cross the border. It's probably around forty percent we've reduced our vacancy rate by about nine percent since the beginning of the year so we're making strads were just not quite there yet forty percent staff vacancies they have yesterday some units are worse than others but yes sir overall that's about what our average is. We are hard if you know any. Well what uh the minimal health minimal health issues at something that any of our units address. Solely or is that something that meant you all do. The only medication to handle where we have we have mental health stay out for sand to each one of our facilities we do have a facility and may over in the washed out river facility that are specifically addresses a lot of middle eaonese system seriously men only mentally go read facility or for treatment all you make they have access to middle hill through our phone kiars there's recorded so if they have a middle health problem and they did see mental health that's on their phone key asking his document that they want to see this person and and middle health usually seized them within three days also if they don't use the key asked that we have written what we call requests for interview forms they can fill out that form and miller health will see them the. If I may add to that senator senator tucker can attached on this and we have a pending iteration of a new medical contract that's coming out and we intend to fold or a mental health component into that because just like everything else we we are doing the best that we can with mental health positions but we struggle given the rate of pay for state jobs without and so that is our that is our plan is to roll that into the next iteration of our medical contract currently we pay for mental health staff across the state but that is what we hope to do moving forward. So it'll be just part of your medical contract yes we use the east arkansas unit as kind of a we call it a pile it but we folded it into our medical contract a year and a half ago that was a great kind of trial run for us because we had like nine I think or ten ftes full time equivalent positions that were at a starkings are and we could not keep them filled so we continually had staff going there from other units whenever the well path company took over that portion they immediately were able to feel like seven of those positions so i'm not sure what they're rochy of is now but almost instantly they had more success filling those positions and we were able to simply because of wages so. What can of a difference has it made in your in mate and the population and display reason and things like that well I don't know the answer to that I don't know if the the the minor hill staff is made at a difference in the disparate process where the they should have made a difference in being able to see more in makes things we were being able to see before it would seem to me I mean i'm a late person here I guess in this equation but seem seemed like you're addressing some of those mental health issues the displanary issues should go down and and some manner you're said not correct so possibly so is it has that happened in that unit in the northeast. I'm not sure I don't have those statistics but I can I can we look into it and get back to you with that information all right thank you our correctional facilities you're in arkansas they are they are stayed out and we don't have any privately old correct facilities at this time do we no signal at one time we did correct yes or loop what we had to facilities with wacon her but i'll level now or under the authority control of the state and operated run by the state yes the border percent of the vacancies that you had is that actually that commission tap law enforcement to the department of corrections or is that forty percent across the board with clerical level one else included or is that is our actual alphaters that that security that's the security issue. Wow. Senator tucker your recognized for a quote thank you mister chair and I really just want to follow up on that specifically I know that they could see rate with corrections officers is a very serious issue in arkansas I know. That's not unique to us I think it had to challenge and every state across the country right now and we need. To pull together and figure out how we can address that because it's it's a concern for everybody for the department for the inmates for everyone so. During the session I know that we had to shut down a unit tucker because of once a you you reference help the vacancy rate is is worse than some units than others. And I know we had a shut down the close some beds and tucker during the session where is it where do we stand on that we we've seen to reopen those bays at the actual took a union the bs at the took a reintrigue center have not been a real as a distance and are we at risk of. Closing down space and units across the state because of the the vacancy rate with corrections no certain that yet not at this time we aren't as miss wallace see it earlier our big our staffing rate is getting better it's gone in the right direction now it's trending towards getting more staff so we're hoping that that occur in in we don't have to close down any facilities I want thank you for your time here today and as you know especially interest in the discussion on middle east appreciate your comments on that ones in as we'll move forward with that new contract with our citizens and task force I hope will you know stand out to see what what the legislature can do obviously point I was trying to make earlier everyone in this. Everyone has responsibilities when it comes to public saver do you know that the folks who are incarcerated have serious responsibilities for their behavior the department has responsibilities for their behavior and the state legislature has responsibility for the resources and investments that it makes to address these issues and and so I hope as we move forward especially on mental health that we that we make adequate investments and we keep that conversation and so thank you yourself thank you. Representative as well you recognize that mister chairman. I appreciate everyone who testified today. I tried to take notes on. What was said and I wanted to follow up with the department about some of these. Concerns that were expressed as some of those that I made notes or medical care. Uh. Metal health treatment of course corruption by in misconduct by the officers. Or correction staff. Over crowding retaliation if. Uh. Certain requests were may. Physical safety. So at the end mates. Male being intercepted. Threatened with disciplinary actions. I think certain request worked were made. Let's see that safety and sanitation the phone call charges are too expensive. And. I'm sure that I missed some things but those were some that I made specific note I have to think that the folks who came and test bad boris today aren't just making these things up but there are legitimate concerns that exist on these particular issues. Can you guys address you know is there a plan that you guys have to improve on some of these areas or some of these areas things that you've noted for improvement in the future. And what are your plans in that regard. Well I think I can start with the phone call situation the phone call rate we have reduced it from thirty one to nineteen cent we are working on that we we currently are working on our before a new or communications can't track so we'll see what their comes outward hopefully it overdose reduced their cost even more than we've already discussed me or health issues we see any and make their assuming that if you've only been seen once you mean out of a s you know to be seen by mental health and I think that's a concern if you have your ad if you ask to be seen you should be seen and and i'm not i'm not aware of people that have asked to be seen by middle hill that aren't I get phone calls all the time see in my family and east is my family needs that and a we immediately have somebody so I think that that's been addressed. The miracle issues of we've got a contract we've got a contract monitor we have someone that overseas our medical on our side are medical administrator overseas what are medical contractor does so they are they are checking to make sure that everybody has seen all time anyone that puts in a seat car request is probably seen and if not we find that medical contract so we we get a ticks and balance system in place that if someone who wants to be seen or needs to be seen by medical that they are seeing and if they aren't you know there are consequences for. If if I may can I pick you back under some of the director prains comments with regard to that thank you I will first want to apologize sector professor was not able to attend he really wanted to be here to address you all but I just want to say that he is please know that he is he is looking into everything related to the department of corrections he's relatively new to the space or he's done a light and getting out and learning things not new to corrections but new to arkansas prison so he's getting out he's learning the system learning where their issues and he's doing his best to get on those things immediately I will say some of the programming needs that have been brought it he he was already before the protect act came into play kind of addressing needing to assess programs and look at whether they were evidence for it based he was already in the process of doing that when that came along so that just a firm that he was headed in the right direction but he's working on that to ensure evidence program evidence based programming is looking to realign our reentry divisions with and division a community correction and corrections to better insurer a warm hand off if you will from the incarceral space to community as part of that he's looking at rehabbing our old southeast arkansas community correction center facility that is closed but it's kind of a good space that he's looking at as a reentry facility in addition to that he has been working since he walked in the door to kind of establish a corrections plan which looks at and individual as soon as they come into the door and it continues to reassess as they work their way through the prison system it looks at what their educational needs are their mental health goals and tries to continually address those so it's not just including reentry drivers license all of the things that we know we need to do better it is going to address that as far as the educational component the secretary would. Really like to see year round school we have these folks twenty four hours a day seven days a week three hundred and sixty five days a year but currently our correction score they are on a regular school calendar so they get summers off so that's something he would like to look at doing in addition they really only teach passing of gd and I don't have a whole lot of information to provide on the correctional school district but that was just something I want a detaching but it falls within the perview the border corrections as the correctional school district so he's kind of limited in how aggressive he can be with making those type of changes just generally I will say we never I get constituent calls I get coles emails from you all all the time and we take them very seriously we would never can down bad behavior and when we get them we immediately reach out whether it be to our medical department our internal affairs division just over the weekend the secretary referred something out to our internal affairs division to investigate so we take him very seriously so I don't want to minimize any of that with you all today. And that's all I have mister chairman thank you thank you for that summary and thank you for letting us know the direction you're going to know we part a lot of test mountain today and it's obviously up and taken some good notes and some of the things that have great concerns in greater issues have like you're going to address though another address those things I know there were some test voted divide kind of got open to wage on a lot of stuff in but that's part of the price says it would we that out and get to the real issues and I appreciate you going over there in the sector is position out in yours to director so that's what we're here for so we got a few more questions representative gas way did you have a follow up quick while be recognized. The. Thank you mister german so with regard to middle health it sounds like you guys are have a plan to try to improve to some degree what you'd already doing. Based on some of the concerns that we heard addressed today one of the things it was mentioned to me while we were in the meeting. Was that maybe we're in carcerating people who have existing mental health problems who might be better served by the state hospital and I think that was expressed by someone who testified I just wonder if staff or someone could get us a number on what the cost of encourse carceration of one person in the department of corrections is for one day versus what it would cost to house someone in the state hospital assuming they had the best space which they don't but if we're going to expand prisons and we're talking course have a plan to expand prison capacity maybe what we ought to look at also expanding would be state hospital capacity might not have to have as much prison capacity if he had more state hospital capacity which quite frankly. It is probably where some of these offenders would be most well suited how we have the look into that so i'd just like to hear of comparison between those two numbers thank you. Tell the clark you're recognized for a question thank you mister chair the. Okay. On the military health side the comment was made that anyone who requested. Metal health. Oh. Was. Accepted. II did not find that to be the case when I talked about the young man who took his old law either he didn't receive metal health which is what I tended to believe from the answers I was given that there really wasn't a problem I wasn't given an answer that there's a problem but we're treating it or help so i'm not saying that's not true now. But that's not the not the. Oh what I experienced. The. But beyond that back to the. Witnesses have testified we had a problem with metal healthy all pretty much acknowledged we have problems with. And then we came back and said but or the problem is we didn't have people because we had the positions but we couldn't fill them because a little pay. I take this up with almost ever the department that can't be for us who expresses that. How often how how long have you had this problem. And how often have you brought it before the legislature line item in your budget. The. We've had we've had problems with middle hill shortages especially now after coverage the covet really put us on a crisis before that we volunteer struggled but not as bad as we are currently. And have we seen it as a line out of in the budget that we turned out. In other words did you ask for that hill. I'm i'm not sure if if there's been on if it's been presented to the legislature on a line i'm not i'm not sure will mister chair I know what answered that always is it was not and we come up with these problems and they come back so well we had we weren't paying people enough and it was never presented to us that there was a problem although we had a non problem thank you. Quick question for you graduated from the chair just on our correctional officers done about the minimum hail. You know I know couple of stations ago we passed we pay as beyond we funded it through the general revenue to establish four crisis stabilization units throughout state important that part of the head legislation was that ever all in portsmouth in the state would be trained at different liables depending on what they were just starting to basic police care to me or what they was already working in and where they were going to be trained to train the also whatever so different stages of that and I guess my question is that we include in that training but the correctional office to receive their that we required all of our other law enforcement in the state to receive. Do you know I don't think that was in your act but what we do we do train though we do train our officers or middle hill crisis you do that in the is that part of the academy because I know the bill that I remained in part sixteen hour block and weird I had a two more hours is on total of eighteen hours that either ever also had to receive during the basic police account of me when they start out not counting the training for those that were already better in law portion of so you tell in me that that's part of your academy at a block in your training it's your academies yes are we we teach me to health do meril training at our our basic academy yes it is on the community correction side as well do what it is on the community correction start as well I just got an email from them last week end of november about crisis intervention training the continuing ongoing that they offer for the officers out in the field good absolutely we made a report of that or that had been incorporated into our correctional officials training sounds like it has that's good revenue to bury you recognize for question thank you mister german and director pain so you know there's just a little bit of meat on the bone and everybody's known on the same bone when it comes to our our budget and and I know and cracking if i'm wrong but what you bring to the legislature it was probably in the past controlled by the executive branch is that correct yeah so okay thank you and so appreciate everybody for being here in appreciate the testimony but number of the the folks it testified the day but you know everybody can make some improvement but director pain would you agree with me that posting. A photo abu with a target on your chest talking about your execution is probably not appropriate for a leader of the family support group to be posting on social media is that correct. Yes sir I would think this I would agree with it so II think there's in order to have dialogue between organizations as well as the secretary in the staff that the department of corrections it's important that we try to fost your some mutual respectful relationships exact correct yes yes thank you thank you mister chairman. Venture granting you recognize get one other thing that was mentioned here in testimony the overcrowding. I think one was mentioned they're seven hundred and something was the our mail space in north central unit. Then it's gonna be pushing nine hundred. Uh who sets the number for what beds base a facility hairs is it yourself or. Is it a a federal oversat or who who sets the the maximum number and. If you exceed that number is it I mean unless you you're setting the number there being but or whoever how many one well what we do with we we've review their facility to find out if we need to add additional bears it's our responsibility as a agency not not just a county deals what we're trying to do is lord a county deal back up number it's our responsibility if the county deal is is overcrowded and have get people that they can't hold its our responsibility to do something about it so what we've done we review the facility some facilities and we valid be it so those facilities if it's can be safely added to those facilities. So yes we we start the process of being as approved our secretary reviews it and our border correction also approves that increase so if it's seven hundred and fifty at the beginning and you review it again. The number can be nine hundred and a later time then that you're that your maximum safe number it later. Yes sir thank you. What are back loud now being held in county jails waiting within the division of correction it's for about nineteen hundred with community correct as I added into the lot over two thousand and two thousand and fifty six I think was today I know it was an it was got one last question. But on AM with the representative painter you recognize for questions. Appreciate them is a chair I direct a pain I appreciate you a couple of months ago taking me on a tour of some local units and in arrell you appreciate that and I talked to you a little bit about the maintenance back log you remind me of that number that you guys have we talked about about that for a little bit. Concerning like the roofs maintenance that kind of thing yeah because II know what we are talking quite a bit yes sir to do the rules we just be at about five million dollars worth the roof projects that we basically fonded our seals to repair those roofs but I couldn't give you an estimate on the total mountain to do every facility in the state of arkansas but it's it's a substantial amount for sure okay appreciate it thanks yes. Saying no further questions from committee members I really appreciate you take in the time to be here today I really think it was a lot of good discussion appreciate people that test bad before this committee and the same old further business before this committee then this make this committee is a jar thank you again thank you.