Ruby Welch assists a student at Arkansas Beauty School in Little Rock on Dec. 10, 2025. Welch is one of the many formerly incarcerated Arkansans who stays tied to the criminal justice system after their release due to fines and fees. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)
It’s been nearly two decades since Ruby Welch was released from prison, but she’s “still not free,” she said, because financial and emotional burdens remain.
After serving seven years on a drug charge, Welch left prison with a $15,000 restitution that she’s still paying off. Until her ledger is cleared, the Hot Springs native will remain on parole, which requires her to submit notification about out-of-state trips.
“I call ‘em my slave papers,” she said. “Before I can go to anybody else’s plantation, I got to let them know that I’m leaving the plantation in Arkansas.”…