Joe Profiri Tells Lawmakers Arkansas Has Framework to Tackle Overcrowding

Joe Profiri told lawmakers on Tuesday that Arkansas already possesses the policy framework necessary to tackle chronic overcrowding within its prison system.

Profiri, who was dismissed two years ago as the head of the state corrections department following a dispute with the state Board of Corrections, appeared before the House and Senate judiciary committees. His testimony marked his first appearance before legislators since 2025.

Arkansas faces a growing prison population driven largely by high rates of recidivism, according to department data and experts. The persistent shortage of prison beds has created a severe county jail backup, leaving individuals who have already been convicted waiting in local facilities for an open state bed.

Profiri faced criticism from lawmakers for skipping a hearing last year concerning Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ proposal for a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County. Sanders has since put that project on hold after meeting stiff opposition from a bipartisan Senate coalition and the local community.

“What it comes back to is based on the scale of Arkansas’ community corrections system, maybe we need a larger capacity to actually show success,” Profiri told lawmakers.

Now serving as a senior adviser to Sanders, Profiri argued that the state corrections system needs to be “rightsized” to handle the more than 80,000 people currently on some form of supervision. He told lawmakers that the necessary pieces are already in place and that execution is the primary remaining hurdle.

“You and this body have done an excellent job with legislation over the last, almost four years, in putting all the elements in place,” Profiri said. “At this point it’s largely about executing.”

He added that the correctional system must shift its focus from punitive measures to rehabilitation.

The Joint Performance Review Committee had requested Profiri’s testimony last year regarding the Franklin County prison project and site selection, but his absence frustrated several Republican legislators. That no-show triggered a failed legislative effort earlier this year to eliminate his advisory role in the governor’s office entirely.

The state’s prison population has grown steadily since the COVID-19 pandemic. Disagreements over how to handle the capacity crunch previously sparked clashes between Sanders and the Board of Corrections, ultimately leading to Profiri’s suspension and firing in 2023 and an ongoing legal battle over administrative control of top prison officials.