LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Jamol Jones, appointed last week to the Arkansas Board of Corrections and named chairman of the parole board, is facing questions over his qualifications after documents revealed why he was fired from the Benton Police Department in 2018.
The documents we've obtained show Jones was fired after having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
Jones, a 35-year-old Benton native, attended Wednesday's Board of Corrections meeting.
He ascended to the position about a year after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed him to what is now called the Post Prison Transfer Board (PPTB).
Jones spent a little more than a year on his hometown police force when – according to investigative files – the 17-year-old girl approached him at a gym, initiated the relationship and deceived Jones about her age.
When word of the affair reached Jones' superiors in the department, transcripts show he initially lied about the nature of the relationship.
The detective who investigated the criminal complaint said the teen's mother did not want to see the then-married, 29-year-old Jones "go to jail" over her daughter's actions. However, files show she understood the likelihood that Jones would need to be fired.
Days later, because of his initial attempts to lie and downplay what happened, Jones was fired for violating department policies.
The criminal file went to prosecutors, but the detective doubted whether Jones should be arrested. There's no record of any charges being filed, and Jones kept his law enforcement commission.
Jones served in the Arkansas National Guard from 2009 to 2011 with an honorable discharge.
After being fired from Benton, he became a police officer with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A spokesperson for the department confirmed his employment on the force that secures and patrols the facilities of the Central Arkansas Veterans Health System.
It is that experience over the six years since joining the Benton Police Department that Sanders pointed to as the reason for appointing Jones to the panel that decides if state inmates deserve to be released from prison.
We asked the governor's spokesperson, Alexa Henning, what in Jones' record drew him to the governor's attention.
Henning sent a statement via text that reinforced the governor's support.
"Jamol bravely served our nation in the Army and protected his community as a police officer, providing him with the experience and knowledge to serve on the Post-Prison Transfer Board and the Board of Corrections," Henning said.
The spokesperson did not respond to our question of when the governor became aware of the reasons Benton police fired Jones.
Jones has said in a statement that he "did not break any laws" and noted no charges have been filed.
"But I made a mistake I've asked God and my families forgiveness for, and I take full responsibility for my actions," Jones said. "I am proud of my service to our country and our state, and the support of my wife and family."
Sanders appointed Jones to the chair of the PPTB on Jan. 26, replacing John Felts.
The chair of that panel is automatically a member of the Board of Corrections, thrusting Jones into the middle of a political and legal dispute over who has the final say over the state's prisons.
The fight over how quickly to expand prison space prompted two lawsuits and the firing of Joe Profiri, the governor's choice for secretary of corrections.
A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections said she wouldn't comment, pointing to the fact that Sanders appointed Jones and the board has no control over his position.