Assessing the state of Arkansas prisons -- UPDATE

Much has been made of recent events within the Arkansas Department of Correction and whether an outside investigation should take place. While I've not called for a full-blown investigation, I see nothing wrong with having an outside organization with experience in these matters review our policies for suggested revisions. One of the things I did learn at the most recent meeting ALC subcommittee meeting is that our policies have been developed using "best practices" that have been devised by the national organization responsible for accrediting the ADC.

Staff for my Judiciary committee has provided me with a list (through the National Conference of State Legislatures) of groups who could or have completed studies or assessments of state corrections institutions. For example, one inexpensive and simple revision includes installing a biometrics scanner at the entrance of the prison requiring a fingerprint or retinal scan that accounts for everyone leaving the prison. This could have prevented the recent event where two inmates simply walked out of an Arkansas prison wearing guard uniforms they made. The NCSL also provided articles on the use of biometrics in corrections -- pretty interesting info.

Here are some of the other links provided by NCSL for the serious policywonks:
ARS
An evaluation of a policy on Georgia
Center for Effective Public Policy
some reports by CEPP
Crime and Justice Institute
Jim Austin, president of JFA Institute
Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center [2]
Council of State Governments, Justice Center
Vera Institute of Justice

Some other states have utilized their colleges and universities to review prison policy:
Minnesota
California
Washington
New York

Update: Sheriff Ken Jones of Union County writes in to say that the Board of Corrections has convened a committee to study the ADC's facility entrance and exiting policies and that he'll be chairing it. There's no one better to review these policies than Jones.