Ark. Code Ann. » Title 12 Chapter 27
Arkansas Code Annotated

Ark. Code Ann. § 12-27-101 (2026)

Purposes and construction of the Division of Correction

✓ current as of May 2026
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    1. The purpose of this act is to establish a Division of Correction that shall assume the custody, control, and management of the state penitentiary, execute the orders of criminal courts of the State of Arkansas, and provide for the custody, treatment, rehabilitation, and restoration of adult offenders as useful law-abiding citizens within the community.
    2. The division shall be under the supervision and control of the Board of Corrections.
    3. To accomplish the objectives and purposes of this act in an effective, coordinated, and uniform manner, the division shall be responsible for the maintenance, supervision, and administration of adult detention and correctional services of the state as determined by the board.
    4. Institutions and services shall be diversified in program, construction, and staff to provide effectually and efficiently for the maximum custody, care, supervision, and treatment of those persons committed to the division.
  2. This act shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes.

History. Acts 1968 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 50, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, § 46-100; Acts 1993, No. 549, § 1; 2019, No. 910, § 728.

A.C.R.C. Notes. Acts 2016, No. 266, § 36, provided: “MARKETING AND REDISTRIBUTION PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF STATE PROPERTY. The proceeds from the sale of state property through the Marketing and Redistribution Section of the Department of Finance and Administration, may be deposited into the Cash in State Treasury fund in an amount not to exceed $100,000 there to be used for operating expenses for the Paws in Prison program.

“The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.”

Amendments. The 2019 amendment substituted “Division of Correction” for “Department of Correction” and “division” for “department” throughout (a).

Meaning of “this act”. Acts 1968 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 50, codified as §§ 12-27-101 — 12-27-105, 12-27-107 — 12-27-109, 12-27-112, 12-27-113, 12-27-115, 12-27-118, 12-27-120, 12-28-102, 12-29-101 — 12-29-104, 12-29-107, 12-29-112, 12-29-401, 12-30-301, 12-30-306, 12-30-401, 12-30-403, 12-30-405 — 12-30-407, 12-30-408 [repealed], 16-93-101, 16-93-102, 16-93-201 [repealed], 16-93-202 — 16-93-204, 16-93-601, 16-93-610, 16-93-701, 16-93-705.

Case Notes

Construction with Other Law.

Inmate who asserted wool blankets caused him to suffer rashes did not show a serious medical need that would have supported a claim of a violation of Ark. Const. Art. 2, § 9 or § 16-123-105 of the Arkansas Civil Rights Act; the inmate's condition was not one that mandated treatment even though it may have been diagnosed by a doctor and, while the evidence showed he indeed suffered from discomfort and rashes, he had been provided with adequate treatment for those symptoms. Williams v. Ark. Dep't of Corr., 362 Ark. 134, 207 S.W.3d 519, cert. denied, 546 U.S. 1018, 126 S. Ct. 647, 163 L. Ed. 2d 531 (2005).

Cited: Edens v. State, 258 Ark. 734, 528 S.W.2d 416 (1975).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1 case, 2005–2005 · leading case: Williams v. Arkansas Dep't of Corr., 207 S.W.3d 519 (Ark. 2005).
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Williams v. Arkansas Dep't of Corr., 207 S.W.3d 519 (Ark. 2005). · cites it 2× “Williams contended that each of the named defendants had a statutory duty to provide him with a non-wool blanket under Ark. Code Ann. § 12-27-101 (Repl. 2003), which states, in part: (a)(1) The purpose of this act is to establish a Department of Correction that shall assume the…”
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