What Is a White Warrant in Arkansas? Arrest, Hearing, Outcomes

A white warrant in Arkansas is a written order used by the Division of Community Correction to arrest and detain someone believed to have violated the conditions of their parole. It takes its name from the form a community supervision officer fills out, and it works outside the regular court system: no judge signs it, and once you are picked up on one, you cannot post bail. You stay in custody until the revocation process plays out.¹

Who Issues a White Warrant and Why There’s No Bond

Arkansas regulations let any Division of Community Correction officer arrest a parolee, or deputize another law enforcement officer to do it, by issuing a written statement declaring that the parolee has violated release conditions. That written statement is the white warrant, and it alone is enough legal authority to hold the person.²

The Post-Prison Transfer Board can also issue its own warrant for a parolee’s arrest at any point during the supervision period, based on information the Division provides.³ In everyday use, people apply the term “white warrant” to either kind of parole-related warrant.

What matters is the detention rule. The statute says a parolee arrested on a Board warrant “shall be detained pending a mandatory parole revocation hearing,” which in practice means no bond.¹ A family member cannot bail you out. You wait in a county jail or other facility until the process moves.

What Triggers a White Warrant

A warrant can issue for breaking any condition on the parole agreement signed at release. Those standard conditions cover reporting to a supervising officer, keeping approved employment or schooling, getting permission before changing address or leaving the assigned county, avoiding firearms, submitting to drug testing, staying away from convicted felons outside of approved settings, and paying monthly supervision fees.⁴

In practice, the violations that most quickly produce a warrant are new criminal charges, absconding from supervision, and repeated positive drug tests. Any new arrest, citation, or criminal charge must be reported to your officer the next business day, and failing to report it is itself a violation.

What Happens Right After the Arrest

Any law enforcement officer who runs your name and sees an active white warrant will arrest you on the spot. A routine traffic stop or any other police contact will surface it. You are then taken to a county jail or other detention facility, with no option to bond out.

From there, the clock starts. A preliminary hearing must be scheduled within seven days of arrest and actually held within fourteen days, not counting weekends, holidays, or delays caused by natural disasters.¹ It takes place near where the alleged violation or arrest happened, and its only purpose is to decide whether reasonable cause exists to believe you violated a condition. Missing these deadlines means sitting in jail longer than the law allows, so track them from day one.

The Revocation Hearing

If the preliminary hearing finds reasonable cause, the case goes to a full revocation hearing conducted by the Post-Prison Transfer Board or a designated revocation hearing judge.⁵ This is not a criminal trial. The Board only needs to find by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning “more likely than not,” that you violated a condition.¹

Under Morrissey v. Brewer, every parolee in a revocation hearing is entitled to:⁶

Written notice of the specific violations alleged
Access to the evidence against you
The right to appear in person, testify, and present your own witnesses and documents
The right to cross-examine adverse witnesses, unless the hearing officer finds specific good cause to deny it
A neutral decision-maker, which the Board itself can be
A written statement of the evidence relied on and the reasons for revoking parole

You can also waive the hearing and agree to a set term of incarceration. Any waiver must be voluntary, and you must be told what outcomes you’re giving up the chance to argue for.⁷

Possible Outcomes

Not every violation ends in a return to prison. The hearing judge weighs the nature of the violation, your supervision history, and available resources before deciding.⁵ Arkansas treats technical violations, such as a positive drug screen, missed appointments, or absconding for less than six months, differently from new criminal offenses, especially felonies.⁷

Intermediate Sanctions

For less serious violations, the Division of Community Correction can impose intermediate sanctions without a full revocation. These include day reporting, community service, increased drug screening or treatment, electronic monitoring, and home confinement.⁸ Short jail stays also count as sanctions: up to 60 days for a technical violation and up to 120 days for a serious conditions violation. Jail-as-sanction is capped at six total uses, with no more than two in any two-year period.

Reinstatement or Revocation

At the hearing, the judge can return you to parole supervision with added conditions such as tighter reporting, mandatory treatment, or electronic monitoring.¹ For repeat or serious violators, the Board can fully revoke parole and send you back to a Department of Correction or Division of Community Correction facility.

One scenario removes all discretion. If you’re convicted of a new felony and sentenced to twelve months or more of imprisonment, your parole is automatically revoked with no hearing.⁷ Charges involving a violent felony or a sex offense requiring registration also trigger a mandatory board warrant, meaning the Board must issue one regardless of other factors.

Whether You Get a Lawyer

The right to counsel at a parole revocation hearing is not automatic. Under Gagnon v. Scarpelli, the Supreme Court held that appointment of a lawyer for an indigent parolee must be decided case by case.⁹ Counsel should generally be appointed when you dispute the facts of the violation, or when the issues involve complicated evidence or substantial reasons in justification or mitigation. If your request is denied, the reasons must be stated in the record.

Arkansas must inform parolees of the right to request appointed counsel, screen requests for eligibility, and give a written explanation when counsel is denied. If you can afford a private attorney who handles parole matters, hiring one before or immediately after arrest gives you the best chance at an effective defense.

If You’re Arrested in Another State

Leaving Arkansas does not put you out of reach. Parolees who transfer supervision through the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision sign a waiver of extradition as part of the transfer, and that waiver cannot be challenged later. It eliminates the need for formal extradition proceedings or a Governor’s warrant.¹⁰

If a receiving state picks you up, it must hold you until Arkansas arranges transport. Arkansas then has 30 calendar days to retake custody once you’re available. Officers from either state can transport you without interference. One complication: if you have pending criminal charges in the arresting state, those may need to be resolved before you can be returned to Arkansas, which can stretch out detention significantly.

Dealing With an Outstanding White Warrant

Ignoring a white warrant is one of the worst moves you can make. These warrants stay active indefinitely and surface the next time your name hits any law enforcement database, whether at a traffic stop, a background check, or an unrelated police contact.

The better approach is to contact a criminal defense attorney who handles parole cases before you’re picked up. An attorney can confirm whether a warrant is active and arrange a voluntary surrender. Turning yourself in on your own terms signals to the Board that you’re taking the situation seriously, and it gives your lawyer time to gather evidence, line up witnesses, and prepare arguments for reinstatement before the hearing instead of scrambling after an unplanned arrest.

Once you’re in custody, the revocation clock starts: a preliminary hearing within seven days, a full process within fourteen. Whether you plan to challenge the alleged violation or argue that revocation would be disproportionate, preparation before that clock starts is worth far more than preparation after.¹

1
Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-705 – Revocation – Procedures and Hearings Generally
2
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Arkansas Regulation 158.00.1-2 – Consideration of Inmates Eligible for Parole and Transfer
3
Code of Arkansas Rules. 16 CAR 22-201 – Warrant and Criteria for Arrest of Offender
4
Arkansas Secretary of State. Arkansas Parole Board Policy Manual
5
Code of Arkansas Rules. 16 CAR 22-302 – Revocation Hearing
6
Justia. Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471 (1972)
7
Arkansas Department of Corrections. Revocation of Parole and Post-Release Supervision Rule
8
FindLaw. Arkansas Code 16-93-712
9
Justia. Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 411 U.S. 778 (1973)
10
Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. Extradition Officials Guide