LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Thursday, the Arkansas Board of Corrections approved Lindsay Wallace to serve as the secretary for the Department of Corrections.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the selection of Wallace on Feb. 8 and credited her experience as a significant reason for the nomination.
"I have a responsibility as Governor to ensure our Department of Corrections operates under qualified leadership," Sanders said. "I know that Lindsay has the experience to lead the department and will work diligently to expand prison capacity and end the failed policy of catch and early release."
Wallace has served as chief of staff at the department since August 2020. She has served the state for 17 years, beginning her career writing policy with the Department of Human Services before transitioning to legal work with the Arkansas Sentencing Commission in 2009.
"It is an honor to be selected," Wallace said. "Throughout my years in criminal justice work, I've seen how the status quo has failed crime victims, failed public safety, and failed our state. I am committed to working with all stakeholders, the Governor, the legislature, and the Board of Corrections to ensure we fix our corrections system."
The Board of Corrections initially named former Eddie Joe Williams the interim secretary. Still, it was short-lived, as Attorney General Tim Griffin wrote a letter asking Williams to decline the appointment because the board had "no such authority" to appoint an interim secretary.
Not long after receiving the letter, Williams resigned and said he was "unable to accomplish" his duties and would "step aside."
Griffin applauded the Board of Corrections' decision to approve the nomination of Wallace.
"I am confident that Ms. Wallace will work diligently to expand Arkansas's prison capacity, which will help keep Arkansans safe and uphold the rule of law," Griffin said.
The feud between the Board of Corrections and the Sanders administration started in November over prison expansion and bed space to deal with overcrowding issues.
Joe Profiri, the governor's first choice for secretary of corrections, was fired in early January for what the board described as insubordination and uncommunicative.
Profiri vowed to override the Board of Corrections' objections and expand the number of beds without their approval.
In a meeting earlier this month, the board approved the addition of 124 beds to the Tucker Re-entry Center only after a sufficient amount of new staff had been hired.
The fight over how quickly to expand prison space has prompted several lawsuits between the board and the Sanders administration.