The Bottom Line: The revolving door of justice too often leads the criminally inclined right back to their roots

Arkansas and Oklahoma are neighbors, but their prisons are very different.

In Arkansas, almost half of the people who leave prison (47.5%) come back within three years. In Oklahoma, only about one in five (22.6%) return. Why? Oklahoma might be tougher on inmates, so they’re afraid to come back, or they might do a better job helping them change.

Arkansas needs to fix big problems, like prosecutors who give easy plea deals, parole boards that let people out too soon, and a system that lets felons go before they’ve served their full time, which may allow some murders to happen.

In Oklahoma, inmates might face strict rules or longer sentences, making them think hard about breaking the law again. Some say Oklahoma locks up too many people for small crimes, which fills prisons but might stop repeat crimes. Or maybe Oklahoma’s programs--like job training or classes to help inmates make better choices--work well to prepare them for life outside. Whatever the reason, fewer people go back to prison there.

Arkansas has a bigger problem. Prosecutors often make plea bargains, which are deals where criminals admit guilt for a shorter punishment. Data shows that 97% of convictions in big cities come from plea deals, and many get lighter sentences. This means some criminals don’t feel the full weight of their actions, so they might commit crimes again.

Also, Arkansas’s parole boards are too soft. They let people out early, even if they haven’t finished programs like drug treatment or anger classes. In 2021, 62% of people sent to prison in Arkansas were there because they broke parole rules. The parole board, now called the Post-Prison Transfer Board, sometimes lets people out after serving just a sixth of their sentence.

Thiose actions sends a message that crime isn’t serious.

Worse, some murders in Arkansas might not have happened if felons had been forced to serve their full sentences. A 2019 study found that 15% of murder offenders in Arkansas were felons released early from prior convictions, often through plea deals or parole. In 2023, Arkansas reported 225 murders.

If that 15% holds, about 34 of those murders might have been prevented if those felons had stayed in prison for their full time. That’s 34 lives that could have been saved.

A clear example is Justin Thabit, a Little Rock man convicted of murder in 2002. Sentenced to 26 years, he was paroled in 2016, but returned to prison in 2018 for a parole violation.

Released again in March 2019, he was arrested just three months later in June 2019 for illegal gun possession while on parole. Authorities found drugs and guns at his girlfriend’s home, and he was considered an absconder after missing parole visits. In 2023,

Thabit was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for being a felon with a firearm. If Arkansas had kept him in prison for his full 26-year sentence, he wouldn’t have been free to commit more crimes, potentially endangering lives.

It's lucky he didn't kill again. His case shows how early release can lead to further trouble

Oklahoma’s tougher rules or better programs might have made a difference.

Arkansas can learn from Oklahoma. Prosecutors should push for stronger punishments, not quick plea deals. Parole boards need to make sure inmates finish rehabilitation programs before getting out.

The state must also stop letting felons out early, so fewer crimes, like murders, happen. The “Truth in Sentencing” law from 2023 is a start—--it makes serious criminals serve more time, like 100% for murder. But more needs to be done.

Oklahoma shows that being tough or helping inmates change can keep them from coming back. Arkansas must stop letting criminals off easy.

It’s time.