Sarah Sander Signs New Bill Banning Parole for Rapists, Murders and Human Traffickers

On Tuesday, Republican Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders reportedly signed a law that would prevent prisoners serving time for felony charges committed after 2024 from being eligible for early release from prison.

These offenses include rape, first-degree murder, human trafficking, and others.

In addition Sanders also signed a new law targeting those who distribute fentanyl, entitled the Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act

“Arkansas will now charge drug dealers with murder if they deliver certain drugs that cause an overdose. For the most heinous drug dealers, those who traffic fentanyl to children, we will charge them with life in prison.” Sanders said.

The Protect Arkansas Act will make those who commit any of 24 felonies including rape, aggravated robbery, and child pornography possession ineligible for parole.

It will also require people who are incarcerated for a variety of other felony crimes such as manslaughter and fentanyl delivery committed in 2025 or later to serve at least 85% of their court-assigned sentences.

These provisions will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

As compared to the previous year, the number of homicides committed in Little Rock, Arkansas’s capital, climbed by more than 24% in 2022.

The number of forceful rapes and robberies also grew by around 8% and 5% respectively.

During her campaign for governor in 2022, Sanders had committed to eliminating all of the existing loopholes in the parole system as well as never endorsing far-left policies such as ‘defunding’ the police.

[READ MORE: Washington State Passes New Ban on Assault Style Weapons]