Gov. Asa Hutchinson has named members to the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force as directed by the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2015, or Act 895, of the regular session.
The task force will meet for the first time on April 30 at 10 a.m. The meeting will take place in the Big Mac Building behind the state Capitol. Members are as follows:
Judge Gary Arnold, Specialty Court Judge
Judge Cristi Beaumont, Specialty Court Judge
Sheriff Tim Helder, Washington County Sheriff
Ken Casady, Saline County Prosecuting Attorney
Chief Kent Buckner, City of Little Rock Police Chief
Steve Newsome, LCSW, President/CEO of Counseling Asso. Inc., Medicaid Provider
Robin Raveendran, Medicaid Provider
John Wesley Hall, Attorney, At-Large Member
Tjuana Byrd, Attorney, At-Large Member
Drew Baker, Business Proprietor, At-Large Member
Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, Senate Judiciary Chairman
Rep. Matthew Shepherd, House of Representatives Judiciary Chairman
Benny Magness, chairman, Arkansas Board of Corrections
John Felts, chairman, Arkansas Parole Board
Wendy Kelley, director, Department of Corrections
Sheila Sharp, director, Arkansas Community Corrections
(The Senate president pro tem and the House speaker will also have an appointee.)