Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S2/18/25 S3/11/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 144
4
5 By: Senator B. King
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING THE BACKLOG OF INMATES AWAITING
10 TRANSFER TO THE DIVISION OF CORRECTION; TO PROVIDE
11 FOR A DESIGNATED DIAGNOSTIC INTAKE FACILITY; TO ALLOW
12 THE BOARD OF CORRECTIONS TO ENTER INTO COUNTY JAIL-
13 STATE INMATE CLOSE-TO-HOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH CERTAIN
14 COUNTIES TO CONSTRUCT, EXPAND, OR IMPROVE A FACILITY
15 TO HOUSE INMATES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 CONCERNING THE BACKLOG OF INMATES
20 AWAITING TRANSFER TO THE DIVISION OF
21 CORRECTION; TO PROVIDE FOR A DESIGNATED
22 DIAGNOSTIC INTAKE FACILITY; AND TO
23 CREATE COUNTY JAIL-STATE INMATE CLOSE-
24 TO-HOME PARTNERSHIPS.
25
26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
27
28 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 12, Chapter 28, Subchapter 1 is amended
29 to add additional sections to read as follows:
30 12-28-110. Facility to house county jail backlog.
31 (a) The Board of Corrections may purchase, fund, construct, expand, or
32 improve a facility to house inmates sentenced to the Division of Correction
33 who are awaiting transfer to a prison:
34 (1) In a county that is one (1) of the eight (8) counties that
35 contribute the most inmates to the total inmate population in the custody of
36 the division; or
*CEB066* 03-11-2025 10:32:52 CEB066
As Engrossed: S2/18/25 S3/11/25 SB144
1 (2) Upon the approval of the quorum court of the county, in a
2 county that adjoins one (1) of the eight (8) counties that contribute the
3 most inmates to the total inmate population in the custody of the division.
4 (b) The division shall determine the eight (8) eligible counties under
5 subsection (a) of this section based upon the total inmate population that
6 existed as of January 1, 2025.
7
8 12-28-111. Diagnostic intake facility.
9 (a) The Division of Correction, with the approval of the Board of
10 Corrections, shall provide a correctional facility in Washington County,
11 Benton County, Crawford County, or Sebastian County to carry out the
12 diagnostic intake process for new adult inmates.
13 (b) Subsection (a) of this section does not prohibit the use of
14 another correctional facility to carry out the diagnostic intake process for
15 new adult inmates.
16
17 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 12, Chapter 41, Subchapter 5, is
18 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
19 12-41-512. County jail-state inmate close-to-home sentencing
20 partnership.
21 (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the Board of
22 Corrections and one (1) or more county may enter into a county jail-state
23 inmate close-to-home sentencing partnership agreement to fund, construct,
24 expand, or improve a facility to house inmates of the jail or to house
25 inmates sentenced to the Division of Correction who are awaiting transfer to
26 a prison.
27 (b) An agreement under subsection (a) of this section is subject to
28 the following requirements:
29 (1)(A) At least one (1) county entering the county jail-state
30 inmate close-to-home sentencing partnership agreement shall be:
31 (i) One (1) of the eight (8) counties that
32 contribute the most inmates to the total population in the custody of the
33 division; or
34 (ii) A county that adjoins one (1) of the eight (8)
35 counties that contribute the most inmates to the total population in the
36 custody of the division.
2 03-11-2025 10:32:52 CEB066
As Engrossed: S2/18/25 S3/11/25 SB144
1 (B) The division shall determine the eight (8) eligible
2 counties based upon the total inmate population that existed as of January 1,
3 2025;
4 (2) If more than (1) county enters into the county jail-state
5 inmate close-to-home sentencing partnership agreement, all counties entering
6 the agreement shall adjoin each other; and
7 (3) The county jail-state inmate close-to-home sentencing
8 partnership agreement shall be approved by a vote of the quorum court of each
9 county entering the agreement.
10 (c) In addition to any sources of funding provided by law, the costs
11 associated with funding, constructing, expanding, or improving a facility
12 pursuant to a county jail-state inmate close-to-home sentencing partnership
13 agreement under this section may be provided from funds authorized by the
14 General Assembly.
15 (d) A county jail-state inmate close-to-home sentencing partnership
16 agreement under this section must be approved by the quorum court of a county
17 before June 30, 2027.
18
19 /s/B. King
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
3 03-11-2025 10:32:52 CEB066Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.