State of Arkansas Archives: on Crime

Asa Hutchinson: Four executions in 8 days; keep protocol of lethal injection

Gov. Hutchinson said the executions this month were carried out under the state's protocols, and he dismissed calls for a probe into Williams's execution, saying there were no indications of pain during any of the lethal injections. "I see no reason for any investigation other than the routine review that is done after every execution," Hutchinson said. After speaking with the Arkansas Department of Correction, "I was satisfied with the information that I received, and I see nothing that draws questions that would justify anything more than a routine review," Hutchinson said. The governor also said he saw no need to alter the state's execution protocols.

Asa Hutchinson: Balance public safety with giving a second chance in life

Curtis Coleman: No mandatory minimums, but death penalty ok

Coleman: Yes

Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?

Coleman: Yes

Q: Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?

Coleman: No

Conner Eldridge: Work with law enforcement to reduce threats of violence

Mark Swaney: Eliminate the federal death penalty

Mike Beebe: Let non-violent offenders repay debt to society productively

Conversations about our corrections system are too often dominated by fear and anxiety. Many discussions end in new laws with harsher sentences and longer prison terms. To say that the only solution is to take no chances, to lock up non-violent offenders for longer and longer periods of time whatever the cost; to do this is to give up on trying to reform our corrections system and our society.

We must appropriately punish lawbreakers, but, in some instances, non-violent offenders can repay that debt to society while remaining productive for their families and their communities. If they don't correct their ways, incarceration will always be an option.

Bruce Westerman: Supports capital punishment; opposes building more prisons

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support building more state prisons in Arkansas?

A: No.

Q: Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults?

A: Yes.

Q: Should minors who send sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?

A: Yes.

Westerman adds, "I believe we can reduce the need for prisons and correctional programs if we will focus on improving our childhood literacy rate and educational system as a whole while expanding our economy so that Arkansas can be the 'Land of Opportunity' for all of its citizens. For those who still refuse to abide by the law then we need the best prison system to incarcerate and hopefully correct the offenders."