Press Releases

LITTLE ROCK, AR – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today held a press conference announcing plans to reintroduce an updated, bipartisan version of the Shift Back to Society Act, legislation to help those who have been incarcerated transition back into society and find employment.

Rep. Hill was joined by:

Dr. Robert Z. Carr, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; 

Dr. Carlos Clark, President, Arkansas Baptist College; 

Solomon Graves, Secretary of Corrections, Arkansas Department of Corrections; 

Jerome Green, President, Shorter College; 

Scott McLean, Founder/Executive Director, Pathway to Freedom; 

Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., President Philander Smith College; 

TJ West, Re-Entry Liaison, Pathway to Freedom. 

“All too often we lose sight of the intrinsic value of educational opportunities – it is a fact that when all people are given opportunities and support, you get the best of America. This bipartisan bill and the current efforts in Arkansas are too important – too vital – to the long-term viability and sustainability of a healthy, growing, prosperous America,” said Rep. Hill. “I thank you those who have inspired this bill and our HBCUs for their legacy of and investment in quality education for Arkansans.”

Further Background:

Specifically, this bill will:

• Establish a 5-year pilot program to provide grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) for educational programming to eligible offenders to facilitate re-entry into the community.

• Define eligible offenders as individuals that have been convicted of a criminal offense and have been released from incarceration for no more than one year; or are scheduled to be released within a year.

• Require matching funds for the grant program and funds from the federal government may not exceed 50 percent of the project cost.

• Provide an authorization that will not exceed $5,000,000 annually.

Congressman Hill has previously introduced this measure – this updated version has a new approach, has bipartisan support, and is co-led by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH-10).