This month marks the opening of the Arkansas Department of Correction’s state-of-the-art special needs facility at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit in Malvern. The addition includes a 72-bed hospital and 40-bed special services area. With the opening of the new addition, ORCU will house 1,690 inmates.

So what does this mean to South Arkansas?

All new inmates go through a diagnostic process called intake. Intake for new male prisoners committed to ADC will now happen in Malvern, instead of Pine Bluff.

Those who have a sentence of death will continue to b...