LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP, abc24.com) - Arkansas' prison population has dropped after a law passed last year overhauled the state's sentencing guidelines.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that in November 2010, more than 16,400 inmates were in the state's prisons. This week, that number was 15,174. And officials say there's also been a decrease in the number of inmates who are being held in county jails.
But prison officials caution that the decrease will likely be temporary. A spokeswoman says the change in the law is likely to slow the growth of the prison population but not stop it altogether.
The law reduced the penalties for some theft- and drug-related crimes. The newspaper also reported that more people are being sentenced to probation, rather than jail time, since the law went into effect.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
