The Arkansas Department of Correction will recognize recent renovations to the Veterans Recreation Area at the Barbara Ester Unit, 7500 Corrections Circle, at Pine Bluff.
The event will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, April 6. Department staff, inmates and stakeholders will attend. The area is utilized exclusively by inmates in the unit’s Veteran’s Outreach Program, according to a news release.
“A first in Arkansas’ prison system, this program houses approximately 50 inmates, representing all five (5) branches of the armed forces in a single barracks at the unit. This unique housing assignment is structured to replicate aspects of military life, to include fostering a spirit of comradery and accountability, which will help prepare the inmates for their eventual release,” according to the release.
Participants receive a curriculum that includes suicide prevention, eligibility of services, veterans administration overview, transitional services and case management, supportive housing, vocational rehabilitation and employment services, substance abuse education, mental health services, health and wellness, chaplaincy services and volunteer services.