On a cold and rainy day in early December, nearly a decade ago, I joined a group of Arkansas prison officials, businessmen and pastors for a two-day visit to the state prison in Cleveland, Texas. Our mission was to see how its “Prison Entrepreneurial Program” (PEP), headed by Catherine Rohr, might help us reduce high recidivism rates among newly released inmates in Arkansas prisons by helping them get jobs. Two of us were recovering alcoholics with a special interest in helping addicts … [Read more...]

Faced with an epidemic of violent, drug fueled crime, Little Rock is budgeting an extra $10,000 a day for overtime to keep a shorthanded police force up to speed. The latest surge of lawlessness in Little Rock has been gaining momentum in recent months. Since the first of the year there have been close to 100 cases of violent crime-homicide, robbery, rape and aggravated assault, a 24 percent increase over last year. And there have also been 30 murders so far. The most spectacular act of … [Read more...]

There have been 45 homicides to date this year in Little Rock, more than double the number of homicides at this time last year. There was also a spectacular shoot-out at Little Rock’s “Power Ultra Lounge” nightclub on July 1, which sent 25 people to the hospital with gun shot wounds. Miraculously, there were no deaths. Little Rock mayor, Mark Stodala responded to the night club shooting with a promise to beef up law enforcement, especially in light of the city’s record crime rate this year … [Read more...]

                  In the early morning hours of July 1, gunfire broke out at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub, in downtown Little Rock. When the shooting ended, twenty-five men and women had been wounded and taken to local hospitals. All survived. The shooter was Kentral Gwynn, bodyguard of rapper Ricky Hampton (aka Finesse2Times) who was on stage at the time. Gwynn, who has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated … [Read more...]

                At Our House, it’s the children who get people choked up. It’s the baby blissfully being rocked or a little girl, with tongue stuck out, concentrating on putting a puzzle together with a gentle prompt from a volunteer. Most of these children have been neglected and some abused, but today they are safe with a staff member or with a supervised parent who is trying to get well and learn how to be … [Read more...]