LITTLE ROCK (Sept. 24, 2025) — University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria today named Kimberly Hendricks Jones as interim director of the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI). She will replace Dr. Cheryl May who resigned as director effective Sept. 30.
CJI is an independent unit of the UA System focused on education and training programs for law enforcement professionals. A certified law enforcement instructor, Jones currently serves as assistant director of the CJI Education and Training Center and has worked at the institute for more than 25 years in various roles.
With the appointment of an interim director, Silveria said the UA System would begin a strategic review of CJI to ensure its effectiveness in serving the state law enforcement community while planning for a search for the next permanent director.
“I am grateful to Kim for agreeing to serve in this important role to help lead CJI through this leadership transition,” Silveria said. “It’s clear to me that CJI plays a critical role in education and training for our law enforcement community, and I look forward to working with Kim, the excellent CJI staff, and our law enforcement partners to determine the right strategic direction for the institute moving forward. Kim’s wealth of knowledge and experience will be vital to this process.”
As assistant director of the Education and Training Center, Jones provided strategic oversight for statewide programs in law enforcement management, forensic sciences, drug training, violence against women initiatives, and most recently, the Arkansas Center for School Safety, helping to shape the professional development of law enforcement officers across Arkansas.
“I am honored by the trust and confidence President Silveria has placed in me to serve as Interim Director of CJI,” Jones said. “I am fully committed to dedicating my best efforts to this role. I’m especially excited to continue working with the incredible CJI staff and look forward to what we will accomplish together during this time of transition.”
During her career at CJI, Jones has designed and delivered both in-person and online training for both law enforcement and civilian audiences. Her expertise in curriculum development and course selection for delivery has helped further CJI’s mission of delivering relevant, high-quality education and training.
She earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Philander Smith College. She is also a graduate of the Arkansas Leader Executive Management Program, jointly sponsored by CJI and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
About the Criminal Justice Institute
The Criminal Justice Institute is committed to its mission of making communities safer by supporting law enforcement professionals through training, education, resources, and collaborative partnerships. Utilizing both classroom-based and online instruction, CJI provides an educational experience designed to enhance the performance and professionalism of law enforcement in areas of criminal justice, law enforcement leadership and management, forensic sciences, computer applications, traffic safety, illicit drug investigations, and school safety.
About the University of Arkansas System
Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state’s 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas’s premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 27,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.