LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Over a month after his last in-person address at the Capitol, Governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday covered a range of topics from getting his second booster shot to addressing next steps in combating violent crime in Arkansas.
"Our nation has been plagued with a rise in violent crime over the last couple of years. Arkansas is not exempt from this increase in violent crime," Hutchinson said.
And that's also seen on the local level as according to a recent Little Rock Police report, violent crime in the city is up nearly 30% over the last five years.
This rise has prompted the governor to announce "an expansion of the intensive supervision program."
The expansion would more closely monitor people on parole -- adding more officers and covering more counties.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's office welcomes the proposed addition.
Lieutenant for the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office Cody Burk saying the new plan "would most likely help us reduce some crime, to what extent that would reduce crime that will, you know, time and statistics will show that."
Leaders also say their goal for the program isn't to restrict those following parole, but take a closer look at those at a high risk for committing future crimes.
Secretary of Corrections Solomon Graves sharing at the podium that the program is geared towards people "that have demonstrated a history of violence that have demonstrated a history of gang affiliation."
But with more eyes looking out for violations, prison space is a concern.
"When someone violates parole, though, they take them to the county jail to house them for their parole hearing that will increase our population," Burk said.
But the Department of Corrections plans to make room by moving county prisoners to state facilities-- facilities that already got the green light for their expansion in the last legislative session.
"While we're making the adjustments that are needed now we know that that population can grow. And we're making accommodations for that," Hutchinson added.
The intensified supervision program is estimated to cost just over a million dollars the first year, and over $800,000 every year after that.
Hutchinson has not said when the general assembly would meet to pass a bill like this proposal but the next regular legislative session is not until next spring.