Pick up know-how for tackling diseases, pests and weeds.
Farm bill, farm marketing, agribusiness webinars, & farm policy.
Find tactics for healthy livestock and sound forages.
Scheduling and methods of irrigation.
Commercial row crop production in Arkansas.
Agriculture weed management resources.
Use virtual and real tools to improve critical calculations for farms and ranches.
Learn to ID forages and more.
Explore our research locations around the state.
Get the latest research results from our county agents.
Our programs include aquaculture, diagnostics, and energy conservation.
Keep our food, fiber and fuel supplies safe from disaster.
Private, Commercial & Non-commercial training and education.
Specialty crops including turfgrass, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals.
Find educational resources and get youth engaged in agriculture.
Gaining garden smarts and sharing skills.
Creating beauty in and around the home.
Maintenance calendar, and best practices.
Coaxing the best produce from asparagus to zucchini.
What’s wrong with my plants? The clinic can help.
Featured trees, vines, shrubs and flowers.
Ask our experts plant, animal, or insect questions.
Enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor.
Herbs, native plants, & reference desk QA.
Growing together from youth to maturity.
Crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, hort glossary, and weed ID databases.
Get beekeeping, honey production, and class information.
Grow a pollinator-friendly garden.
Schedule these timely events on your gardening calendar.
Equipping individuals to lead organizations, communities, and regions.
Guiding communities and regions toward vibrant and sustainable futures.
Guiding entrepreneurs from concept to profit.
Position your business to compete for government contracts.
Find trends, opportunities and impacts.
Providing unbiased information to enable educated votes on critical issues.
Increase your knowledge of public issues & get involved.
Research-based connection to government and policy issues.
Support Arkansas local food initiatives.
Read about our efforts.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters.
Licensing for forestry and wildlife professionals.
Preserving water quality and quantity.
Cleaner air for healthier living.
Firewood & bioenergy resources.
Managing a complex forest ecosystem.
Read about nature across Arkansas and the U.S.
Learn to manage wildlife on your land.
Soil quality and its use here in Arkansas.
Learn to ID unwanted plant and animal visitors.
Timely updates from our specialists.
Eating right and staying healthy.
Ensuring safe meals.
Take charge of your well-being.
Cooking with Arkansas foods.
Making the most of your money.
Making sound choices for families and ourselves.
Nurturing our future.
Get tips for food, fitness, finance, and more!
Understanding aging and its effects.
Giving back to the community.
Managing safely when disaster strikes.
Listen to our latest episode!
Kristin HigginsPublic Policy CenterPhone: 501-671-2160Email: khiggins@uada.edu
by Kristin Higgins - May 2, 2023
A new simulation offered by the Public Policy Center highlights the hurdles people recently released from prison encounter when trying to rejoin a community and provides local leaders a tool to use when discussing the complex issues surrounding re-entry.
Nearly everyone who goes to prison eventually leaves prison. Pair that reality with county governments in Arkansas spending more than one-third of their budgets on public safety, it becomes clear prison re-entry affects many Arkansans.
“Walking in the shoes of someone with a felony record for four “15-minute weeks” is one way to raise awareness about the personal impact re-entry has as well as the larger community impact,” said Kristin Higgins, a program associate at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's Public Policy Center.
Adapted from a simulation created by the West Virginia Department of Justice, the two-hour program involves participants assuming the identity of a person reporting to probation, trying to find work, paying off debts and avoiding going back to prison.
“Every circumstance that was presented are actual barriers I see daily,” one participant wrote after attending the Public Policy Center’s first Arkansas Re-Entry Simulation in El Dorado in April.
The SHARE Foundation in El Dorado hosted the Public Policy Center’s simulation during its Re-Entry Week events. More than 40 people participated in the simulation, including probation officers, the county sheriff, nonprofit leaders, and people who have spent time in the prison system..
Nationally, April is Second Chance Month, where the Department of Justice recognizes “the importance of helping individuals, communities, and agencies across the country appreciate their role in supporting the safe and successful reentry of millions of people returning from incarceration each year.”
During the simulation, Higgins mentioned that the entire population of El Dorado could fit in the state's prison system. She also asked participants how their experiences compared to their own lives, and they define "quality of life."
"It was a great experience where those working in re-entry and those living in re-entry were on opposite sides of the table. The sheriff, parole officers, HR departments, landlords and others just thought they knew how hard it was to re-enter society. They were wrong," said Debbie Watts, vice president of community impact at the SHARE Foundation, which hosted the program on April 26. "The simulation gave participants more understanding and sympathy for those in re-entry after gaining a better perspective on what they go through on a daily basis. The obstacles they encounter, how fragmented service providers are from one to another and the lack of knowledge even the service providers have of each other was eye opening."
Many of the participants were already familiar with the concept of re-entry. Asked what they learned from the simulation, responses included:
That re-entry could be tough and unexpected due to life's curve balls but it is possible with support and perseverance. That buying basic life items - food, clothes (for interviews, etc.) becomes borderline impossible. That others did not realize how hard it was for people trying to get their lives together. How fragmented service providers are from each other. How hard it is to start with nothing Frustration with the process and why people re-offend
That re-entry could be tough and unexpected due to life's curve balls but it is possible with support and perseverance.
That buying basic life items - food, clothes (for interviews, etc.) becomes borderline impossible.
That others did not realize how hard it was for people trying to get their lives together.
How fragmented service providers are from each other.
How hard it is to start with nothing
Frustration with the process and why people re-offend
Watts said providers in attendance plan to be more aware of other area resources, how to connect people to those resources and bridge gaps in order to break down barriers.
"Human Resource departments indicate the need to review hiring policies and lighten up on hiring restrictions where allowed.," Watts said. "The event was well received, enjoyed by both sides of the tables and will prompt further action in Union County."
About the Re-Entry Simulation
Extension county agents in more than 25 counties work with local courts and organizations to provide re-entry education, ranging from healthy eating to stress management. The Public Policy Center staff decided to offer the simulation as another opportunity for elected officials, employers, landlords, and community groups to learn about what re-entry looks like. The program can also be used to help people about to leave prison to discuss their futures.
Email us to request more information about bringing this simulation to your community, or visit our Rural Criminal Justice website for additional details.