Join The Intake Initiative in making a difference!

Every year, more than 615,000 people in state prisons receive at least one disciplinary punishment — over 50% of the incarcerated population. These infractions often occur within the first 90 days, when people are still adjusting to the environment, rules, and stressors of incarceration.

Most infractions are non‑violent, rooted in confusion, trauma responses, or unmet needs — not criminal intent. Yet the consequences are severe:

• Loss of “good time” credits
• Extended incarceration
• Segregation or loss of privileges
• Reduced access to rehabilitative programs
• Increased family strain
• Higher recidivism risk

This cycle harms families, destabilizes communities, and increases taxpayer costs.

The Financial Impact

Using conservative, evidence‑aligned assumptions:

• Average extra time served per infraction: 30 days
• Average daily cost of incarceration: $174.32
• Cost per infraction: $5,229.60
• People affected annually: 615,000

Total annual taxpayer cost of disciplinary‑infraction‑related extra time:

$3.21 billion per year

These costs are preventable.

Our Solution: The Intake Initiative

The Intake Initiative is the first program in the nation to provide pre‑incarceration preparation, family support, and early‑stage stabilization for individuals entering jail or prison.

We equip participants and their families with:

• Clear orientation to rules, expectations, and daily structure
• Emotional regulation and conflict‑management tools
• Family communication strategies
• Trauma‑informed preparation for the first 90 days
• Support for attorneys, courts, and caregivers

This reduces confusion, fear, and reactive behavior — the root causes of early infractions.

Projected Savings

If The Intake Initiative reduces infractions by just 3–5%, the savings are substantial:

• 3% reduction: $96.3 million saved annually
• 5% reduction: $160.5 million saved annually

This is only the beginning. Additional benefits include:

• Stronger family stability
• Lower recidivism
• Reduced violence
• Improved mental health
• Better reentry outcomes

Arkansas can become the national model for pre‑incarceration preparation and family‑centered justice reform. With early investment, funders can help launch a scalable, data‑driven solution that reduces harm, strengthens families, and saves taxpayers millions.