Arkansas Board of Corrections member named in Lord’s Ranch child sexual abuse lawsuits subpoenaed by legislators, testifies in meeting
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For the first time, KARK 4 News is hearing from a Board of Corrections member who has been under fire for months, accused of covering up child sexual abuse for decades and refusing to step down from the board.
On Monday, lawmakers on the Joint Performance Review Committee held another meeting over the board’s contract with the special counsel for litigation against the state. Board member Alonza Jiles testified in the meeting.
Jiles has been named by alleged victims in civil lawsuits, accused of covering up sexual abuse they reported to him at an Arkansas youth treatment center called the Lord’s Ranch. Jiles has denied all allegations.
Elected officials have pushed him to step down for months now, starting with legislators, the attorney general and finally Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Jiles, along with all other board members, had been requested to come testify about that contract for the last two committee meetings, but Jiles did not show up to either of the two, until Monday after being subpoenaed.
Lawmakers were quick to discuss their concern over his legal battles waiting to play out in court; noting that even if Jiles is innocent, they fear the situation is distracting him from serving on the board right now.
“It’s best for the state,” State Senator Tyler Dees told KARK 4 News after questioning Jiles in committee. “The state needs people’s full attention to our prison system. We’ve got prisons that’re full, county jails that’re full. We’ve got to make sure there’s full attention to problems at hand as a state. So, we do… we call for his resignation.”
When asked about the calls to resign, Jiles told members of the committee he still has no plans to leave the board and feels he has not been distracted from his service.
“I started doing service on death row in 1987 working with men in the prison and staff,” Jiles told legislators. “It’s been a passion of mine ever since that time.”
Jiles added that he had not missed any board meetings yet, though was quickly called out by Dees for not answering legislators’ or elected officials’ calls or messages for months now, as they looked to gain clarity on the situation, for themselves and constituents. KARK 4 News has also called Jiles and sent messages multiple times in recent months and never received a response.
KARK 4 News asked in person for an interview on Monday, but Jiles declined to comment.
Jiles also said he was not able to come to the last two committee meetings because he “had other things going on at the time.”
When pressed by Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle) about whether those things were more important than the request to testify to state lawmakers, he said on both occasions, he had job interviews lined up during the meetings, as he tries to support his family right now.
Also in that meeting, the committee continued looking into the the original item on the agenda: its investigation into the board’s hiring of special counsel for litigation against the state.
In order for the board to pay its attorney the $200,000+ he is owed at this point, lawmakers need to sign off on the contract.
A few months ago, a Pulaski County Circuit judge ruled the board could hire outside counsel, which the attorney general is appealing.
Now, the legislative committee is investigating the board’s process, or lack thereof, in hiring its attorney, and if the board violated Freedom of Information or procurement laws.
Sen. Jim Petty (R-Van Buren) filed a motion to submit findings and recommendations to legislative counsel as a result of the committee’s investigation. He added that the Board of Corrections “operated with disregard to public transparency,” including violation of FOIA and open meetings laws. He said the board lacked financial and statutory authority to make this decision, and “perceived and discussed violation of law.”
Petty’s motion also acknowledged a lack of process in board meetings and procurement process. He recommends legislative counsel not review that contract and transactions be transcribed, and recordings forwarded to the inspector general for further transcripts of April 4, April 11 and April 22 committee meetings investigating the hiring.
The motion failed due to a lack of attendance from the full committee. They’ll take a vote again Tuesday, as lawmakers reconvene for fiscal session.
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