Pulaski County, AR
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office
arkansas
Urban | Population: 397,821Pulaski County is Arkansas's densest and most urban county, with a population of 397,821 citizens in a geographic area of 808 square miles. The city of Little Rock is the county seat of Pulaski County and the most populous city in the state. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office operates a Regional Detention Facility that houses roughly 1,200 individuals, with an average daily intake of 37 people. In 2019 and 2022, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use program award to facilitate successful reentry through comprehensive treatment, transitional housing, and peer recovery services.
Responding to the Opioid Crisis
Comprehensive Reentry Support
At the core of the PCSO's reentry initiative is a commitment to reducing repeat offenses by justice-involved individuals.
Sheriff Eric S. Higgins
"It is important that we take a more aggressive stance toward diverting people with mental health issues and drug addiction from the criminal justice system and do more to help those who are reintegrating into the community from prison."
Pre-Release Academy
362
Individuals completed csi academy
The Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility offers a Community-Focused, Safety Driven, Integrity Based (CSI) Academy, which focuses on teaching life skills to incarcerated individuals to help them succeed in society after release. The CSI Academy is part of Sheriff Eric S. Higgins’ overall “CSI” mission to be Community-focused, Safety-driven, and Integrity-based. Individuals enrolled in the CSI Academy are housed in a reentry unit that houses up to 120 individuals.
Phase I: Complete Courses
The first phase of the CSI Academy requires participants to complete 200 hours of completed classes, which meet four hours per day, five days a week for twelve weeks. A combination of volunteers and staff teach over a dozen courses that include:
Getting Ahead While Getting Out
Criminal and Addictive Thinking
Inside Out Dads (parenting class)
Conquering Chemical Dependency
Yoga
PTSD
Embracing Purpose
Relapse Prevention
Phase II: Thrive Beyond Jail
A second six-week phase focuses on learning to thrive beyond jail. During phase two, individuals have an opportunity to participate in occupational training, including:
Future Fit Program - (96 Total hours of training) Industrial Manufacturing
IN2Work - Servsafe Food Safety Training Program and Retail Management
Sheriff Eric S. Higgins
"Not only will we see a reduction in crime in all of Pulaski County, but we will see individuals become more productive members of our community."
Peer Recovery Support
Outside of the formal classroom, the CSI Academy offers daily peer-led group sessions. The use of peer support has become a cornerstone of the program’s success. By embedding peer specialists into both the jail and community settings, the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility ensures individuals have trusted guides throughout their recovery journey. This continuity fosters accountability and reduces the likelihood of a relapse. Post-release contact is mostly remote and is delivered weekly for the first month, biweekly for the second month, and monthly for the life of the grant. The program has seen some of its graduates return as staff, which is a testament to its impact.
Recovery and Transitional Housing
85
Individuals placed in transitional housing in 2024
Recovery and transitional housing is available to CSI Academy graduates for up to 90 days post-release. The Reentry Program has partnered with various transitional housing facilities to meet the unique needs of each graduate. This approach has fostered increased peer accountability and strengthened recovery support systems. Initial observations suggest this effectively reduces the likelihood of immediate re-offense. Residents of the housing program participate in ongoing counseling, case management, random drug tests, group meetings, and curfews.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and discharge planning are provided at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Detention Facility through a contract with Turn-Key Health. Post-release MAT is offered through the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Addiction Services and Treatment (CAST). In 2023, 91 individuals in the Reentry Program received MAT services while incarcerated.
659
Individuals served by the program
0
overdoses reported among participants
Demonstrated Success
Mercedes Anthony, a 2020 CSI graduate, noted “CSI reentry is creating good humans. I’m not just better than I was, I’m a person you want living next to you. The kind of person you can trust and feel comfortable around.”
Since 2022, the program has served 659 individuals, with 362 completing the pre-release academy. In 2024, 85 people were placed in transitional housing, a significant increase from previous years. Most people stay in transitional housing for one to two months. Eight providers are currently being used for transitional housing. The program has reported zero overdoses among participants.
Mercedes anthony, csi graduate
“CSI isn’t just for people like me, it’s for our community. For our children and our business. It takes more time and more resources to keep sending me back to jail. Since I’ve completed the CSI reentry program, I’ve not been back to jail, I’m contributing to society. I have a job. I have my own apartment, which I’ve never had before. I have a bank account that actually has money in it. It’s beautiful to not be looking over my shoulder.”
Looking Forward
Community awareness of the COSSUP program has grown significantly. The team has presented at state-level meetings and events, such as Jail Resources Day, enhancing the program’s reputation and creating new partnership opportunities. For example, the Wolfe Street Foundation has become a key ally in the program’s ongoing expansion and outreach. Another key goal is to broaden the network of community partners to ensure that every reentry participant receives comprehensive support, both before and after their release.
Collaborative Partners
One of the program’s key strengths is its strong network of community partners. These partnerships ensure participants have access to a continuum of care during and after incarceration.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Wolfe Street Foundation
Better Community Development
Natural State Recovery Center
Pulaski Technical College
Arkansas Department of Workforce
New Hope Residences
Nehemiah House
Project Director
Marcia Gober, Data and Grants Manager
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office
mgober@pcso.org
501-680-0091
This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA23GK02258COAP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.