News ReleasesFilter
Rutledge Announces Arrest of Lake Village Woman for Medicaid Fraud
Fri, Sep 22, 2017LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the arrest of a Chicot County woman.
Eva Sykes, 61, of Lake Village, was arrested by agents with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and transported to the Pulaski County Jail. She is charged with one count of Medicaid fraud, a Class B felony. She is accused of fraudulently retaining Medicaid payments for services not rendered, totaling $47,596.40 in February 2015.
Medicaid fraud occurs when providers use the Medicaid program to obtain money to which they are not entitled. To report Medicaid fraud or abuse or neglect in residential care facilities, contact the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud hotline at (866) 810-0016 or oag@arkansasag.gov.
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Rutledge: Fifth Circuit Should Validate Laws Banning Sanctuary Cities
Thu, Sep 21, 2017Says, ‘Sanctuary jurisdictions violate the rule of law and place law-abiding citizens in danger’
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has joined a coalition of eight state attorneys general to file an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, supporting the right of individual states to prohibit sanctuary cities within their borders.
This week’s brief calls on the 5th Circuit to lift an injunction enjoining a sanctuary city ban in Texas from taking effect. The state law requires local entities and officials to not interfere with federal immigration enforcement. It also places certain duties and liabilities on certain persons in the criminal justice system, provides civil penalties and creates a criminal offense for violating those provisions.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions violate the rule of law and place law-abiding citizens in danger,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “States have the authority to prohibit such policies from existing in local municipalities and the 5th Circuit should lift this injunction.”
Sanctuary jurisdictions — cities and localities that prohibit or otherwise obstruct cooperation between federal and local officials on immigration enforcement — defy the rule of law and deprive law enforcement of the tools necessary for effective civil and criminal enforcement.
The attorneys general believe that prohibiting sanctuary cities helps uphold immigration laws and provides federal, state and local law enforcement with additional and necessary tools to identify drug offenders who unlawfully enter the country while at the same time reducing the danger these cites pose to neighboring states, even those that have no sanctuary jurisdictions.
In June, Rutledge joined a 10-state coalition in defense of President Donald J. Trump’s executive order regarding the prohibition of sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants.
Led by the West Virginia and Louisiana attorneys general, Rutledge is joined on this brief by her colleagues in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
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Rutledge Launches Prescription for Life in Jonesboro High School
Wed, Sep 20, 2017First school in northeast Arkansas to use curriculum
JONESBORO – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today as part of National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week continued her launch of a first-in-the-nation education initiative called “Prescription for Life” at Jonesboro High School. Prescription for Life features a digital platform to help high school students in the State understand the dangers of prescription drug misuse and how to prevent abuse.
Jonesboro High School is the second institution to adopt the curriculum after Fort Smith Southside High School used the program on Tuesday. Prescription for Life comes at no cost to participating schools in Arkansas.
“By bringing Prescription for Life to Jonesboro High School, teachers and administrators are showing a commitment to tackling the opioid epidemic and setting an example for others to follow,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Arkansas is the first in the nation to launch such an educational program, and it is my goal that it will become a model for other states that will no doubt help save lives.”
Rutledge observed a class of students going through the 30-minute course, which was followed up with a post-assessment survey to measure changes in students’ attitudes and behavior.
“Prescription for Life is key to educating young Arkansans on how to avoid substance abuse,” said State Drug Director Kirk Lane. “This program will save lives and be a positive influence on Arkansas's health and safety.”
“This curriculum will provide our children with a level of understanding and social development that they would not otherwise gain, while at the same time, alleviating some of the strain families face today with substance abuse,” said Principal Shannon Lewis. “I am positive that this program will yield many benefits for our students, families, and community for years to come.”
Using an evidence-based public health approach, the digital course empowers high school students with the skills and knowledge they need to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription drugs. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health Education Standards and State academic standards.
The self-paced modular course uses video, animations, simulations and interactivity to deliver a personalized, self-guided learning experience. The real-life simulations demonstrate the impact misuse can have on students’ physical and mental health, relationships and future goals while the scenario-based exercises help students practice how to support other students in their choices regarding the safe use of prescription drugs.
After launching the program in the Jonesboro and Fort Smith School Districts this week, Rutledge expects more schools to begin using the program in the coming weeks.
Educators from the Attorney General’s office are also available to conduct teacher in-service trainings in person and through webcasts and give presentations to parent and community groups throughout the State about how to talk with young people about risks associated with opioid use and how to recognize signs that their loved ones are abusing drugs.
The curriculum is part of the Attorney General’s already robust prescription drug abuse prevention initiative. During 2016, more than 330 pounds of prescription drugs were collected at Attorney General Mobile Offices across Arkansas and over 160 pounds have been collected since the beginning of 2017. The sixth annual Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit, hosted by Rutledge, is scheduled for Nov. 9 in Hot Springs with over 850 taking advantage of early bird registration.
Drug overdose deaths are on the rise in Arkansas, increasing from 287 in 2015 to 335 in 2016, according to data from the State Crime Lab. More than 40 percent of teenagers in Arkansas have tried prescription drugs and more than half of all teens report that it is easy to obtain prescription drugs from their parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that between 59,000 and 65,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016, up from 52,404 in 2015 and double the death rate a decade ago. That is more than the number of deaths from car accidents in 2016. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, the majority of drug overdose deaths – six out of 10 – involve an opioid.
Find more information about the program and how to bring it to schools or other settings at ArkansasAG.gov.
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Rutledge Launches Prescription for Life in First School in the Nation
Tue, Sep 19, 2017Class of students at Fort Smith Southside High School are first to use curriculum
FORT SMITH – In conjunction with National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today launched a first-in-the-nation education initiative called “Prescription for Life” at Fort Smith Southside High School. Prescription for Life features a digital platform to help high school students in the State understand the dangers of prescription drug misuse and how to prevent abuse.
Southside High School is the first institution to use the program in the country after Rutledge announced the creation of the initiative in July, which comes at no cost to participating schools in Arkansas.
“If Prescription for Life helps save just one life and creates a dialogue with high school students about opioid abuse, then the program is a success,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Arkansas is the first in the nation to launch such an educational program, and it is my goal that it will become a model for other states to adopt. I know that Fort Smith Southside will not regret bringing this curriculum to their classrooms.”
Rutledge observed a class of students going through the 30-minute course, which was followed up with a post-assessment survey to measure changes in students’ attitudes and behavior.
“Prescription for Life is key to educating young Arkansans on how to avoid substance abuse,” said State Drug Director Kirk Lane. “This program will save lives and be a positive influence on Arkansas's health and safety.”
“We are honored to be the first school to be involved in the launch of the Prescription for Life curriculum,” said Southside Principal Wayne Haver.
Using an evidence-based public health approach, the digital course empowers high school students with the skills and knowledge they need to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription drugs. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health Education Standards and State academic standards.
The self-paced modular course uses video, animations, simulations and interactivity to deliver a personalized, self-guided learning experience. The real-life simulations demonstrate the impact misuse can have on students’ physical and mental health, relationships and future goals while the scenario-based exercises help students practice how to support other students in their choices regarding the safe use of prescription drugs.
Rutledge plans to launch the program in Jonesboro High School on Wednesday and expects more schools to begin using the program in the coming weeks.
Educators from the Attorney General’s office are also available to conduct teacher in-service trainings in person and through webcasts and give presentations to parent and community groups throughout the State about how to talk with young people about risks associated with opioid use and how to recognize signs that their loved ones are abusing drugs.
The curriculum is part of the Attorney General’s already robust prescription drug abuse prevention initiative. During 2016, more than 330 pounds of prescription drugs were collected at Attorney General Mobile Offices across Arkansas and over 160 pounds have been collected since the beginning of 2017. The sixth annual Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit, hosted by Rutledge, is scheduled for Nov. 9 in Hot Springs with over 850 taking advantage of early bird registration.
Drug overdose deaths are on the rise in Arkansas, increasing from 287 in 2015 to 335 in 2016, according to data from the State Crime Lab. More than 40 percent of teenagers in Arkansas have tried prescription drugs and more than half of all teens report that it is easy to obtain prescription drugs from their parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that between 59,000 and 65,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016, up from 52,404 in 2015 and double the death rate a decade ago. That is more than the number of deaths from car accidents in 2016. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, the majority of drug overdose deaths – six out of 10 – involve an opioid.
Find more information about the program and how to bring it to schools or other settings at ArkansasAG.gov.