How Classification Reviews Work at McPherson Unit (General Population & Restrictive Housing)
Classification is how McPherson Unit reviews an incarcerated person's placement and status—housing level, program assignments, work details, and changes tied to disciplinary outcomes. Understanding the regular review schedule helps you know when decisions might be revisited and when it makes sense to ask questions.
At McPherson,
General population classification happens every Thursday at McPherson Unit. That weekly rhythm matters - most routine decisions and updates get funneled into that day.
Thursday reviews include annual reviews. If your loved one mentions an
Thursdays also cover job and program changes. Someone trying to move into a different work assignment or program will likely have that request considered during the Thursday review cycle.
Good time restoration is another reason someone comes up in Thursday classification. If your loved one lost good time through the disciplinary process and is hoping to get it back, this is where that gets processed.
Restrictive Housing (RH) classification also happens on Thursdays. That said, RH reviews follow a weekly-to-monthly cadence depending on how long someone has been there. If you're tracking timing closely, confirm the exact day a particular review is scheduled.
For the first 60 days in Restrictive Housing, McPherson reviews inmates weekly. Expect frequent check-ins early on, even if the outcome doesn't change right away.
After 60 days, the schedule shifts to monthly reviews until the person is released from RH. If your loved one has been in RH for a while, formal review points become less frequent.
A classification review doesn't guarantee anything will change - but it's the point where changes get considered and recorded. For general population, Thursday classification can cover annual check-ins, job or program adjustments, and good time restoration. If your loved one says they "went to classification" or they're "up on Thursday," one of those issues is likely being reviewed. It's a good time to ask what they're hoping for and what they were told to expect.
Need a case-specific answer? If you have questions that aren’t covered here, contact ADC Constituent Services at (870) 267-6385 or email ADC.Public.Information@arkansas.gov.
- Use Thursdays as your general population reference point - General population classification is typically held every Thursday, so that’s the day most routine GP review activity lines up with.
- Track RH by “days in RH,” not just the calendar - RH inmates are reviewed weekly for the first 60 days after assignment, then monthly after that until release from RH.
- Time your questions around review windows - If your loved one is waiting on an RH review (weekly early on, then monthly), or a GP Thursday review, it can help to ask them beforehand what issue is being reviewed and follow up after to see what they were told.
- ✓ Call ADC Constituent Services at (870) 267-6385
- ✓ Email ADC.Public.Information@arkansas.gov with your question and any identifying details they request
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