By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — The director of state prisons told lawmakers Tuesday he was “embarrassed” over recent serious incidents in the system, but that they were isolated and not part of a bigger problem.

Prison Director Larry Norris appeared before legislators for the first time since a rash of highly publicized prison problems, including a prison escape by two convicted killers, an inmate who nearly died after being left naked in his own feces over a weekend and the shooting death of a parolee at a prison facility.

Members of the Legislative Council’s Subcommittee Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions grilled Norris about the incidents Tuesday and wanted to know what was being done to make sure they were not repeated.

“Like you, I am troubled by the three incidents that we’re talking about today, not because they are connected, or because they hint at a bigger problem, because I don’t think either is true, but simply they do happen,” Norris said.

He said department policies and procedures were in place to prevent the incidents but were not fully followed, or department employees simply were “complacent” in their work.

“A policy is only as good as your weakest link,” he said.

Some lawmakers questioned the role of the state Board of Corrections in dealing with the problems and suggested the prison system’s governing board failed to take appropriate action.

“It just looks like no one is watching the hen house,” said Rep. Davy Carter, R-Cabot.

Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, raised the issue of the board being fired. He was particularly agitated when told the chairman of the board did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.

“I think the whole board ought to come to this committee to answer questions we have because if they have the power to hire and fire then that’s where the buck stops,” Hendren said. “If Larry needs to be hired or fired they need to make that decision, and if they won’t do it to suit the citizens of Arkansas, then they need to go.”

In May, convicted murderers Calvin Adams and Jeffrey Grinder escaped from the Cummins Unit by walking out of the prison dressed in guard uniforms and driving away in a car left for them in the parking lot. The two were nabbed a few days later in New York state.

Also recently, a state prison parolee wanted for failing to meet with his parole officer was shot and killed near a checkpoint at the Tucker Unit, and in January an inmate at the Tucker Unit was left lying naked in his own feces over a weekend and nearly died.

Prison officials also are looking into allegations that a nurse gave guards lap dances while on the job.

Gov. Mike Beebe has said he wanted an in-depth investigation of the prison system, and he said the prison system and state police were the appropriate agencies to do so.

Norris told the legislative committee Tuesday that his department is installing fingerprint readers at 20 prison facilities for employees and visitors. Prison spokeswoman Dina Tyler said later each reader costs about $3,000 and the goal is to have them installed at the various units by late summer.

Norris also said policies have been changed to make sure all correctional officers are accounted for when they enter and leave prison facilities.

One of the problems that led to the May 29 escape, he said, was that the captain on duty allowed a lieutenant who was watching the exit to leave early and then the captain left the area as well.

Norris told the panel six correctional officers have been fired for failing to fulfill their duties and one officer was suspended for five days.

He said a lieutenant and sergeant were fired, and 15 other employees were disciplined for the January incident.

“The policies are in place,” he said. “If staff does what they are suppose to do, this would not happen.”

During the meeting, some lawmakers asked to talk to the board’s chairman Benny Magness. When told Magness was unable to attend, the board’s vice-chairman, Mary Parker, began to walk to the podium but Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, said the entire board would be invited to the panel’s next meeting to discuss the problems.

Sen. Steve Faris, D-Malvern, suggested moving the prison issue to the Joint Performance Review Committee, which has subpoena powers and could subpoena members of the seven-member Board of Corrections to a meeting.

In response to questions about whether he would be fired, Norris said if the governor or the board thought he wasn’t doing a good job and wanted him fired he would already be gone.

After the meeting, Parker defended Norris and the way the board has handled the problems.

“With all due respect to the legislators, they don’t understand that we’re in contact with our agencies on a daily basis, so we don’t wait for a monthly meeting to deal with an issue,” she said, adding that maybe the board should change its procedures to require discussion of such issues during regular meetings.

She said the escape wasn’t discussed at the June meeting because the report had yet to be finalized.

“We talk with Larry about the critical issues, like the escape, or the situation with the soiled cell, that’s important to us,” she said, but she added the board does not “micromanage” the department.

Norris told the committee that an internal investigation has been unable to prove the allegations that prison nurses gave lap dances to guards. He also declined comment on the shooting, pending completion of a criminal investigation.