If you think that laws are passed or defeated by the votes of a majority of the legislators you elect, think again. As a follow-up to a recent blog article on our website discussing criminal justice reform in Arizona, we’d like to focus on bi-partisan attempts by many members of the state legislature to make […]
Criminal Justice Reform Thwarted by Single Arizona Legislator Read More »
In a December opinion piece in the Arizona Capitol Times, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery claims that “Arizona leads in criminal justice reform.” We’re not exactly who Bill thinks we’re leading, but he does point to several items he says support his position. However, before we go into the specifics, we should tell you that
Arizona is experiencing a general decline in crime rates, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. This applies to both violent crimes and property crimes. At the same time, the states prison population continues to grow. It sounds like something must be wrong with the system, given these two seemingly incongruous facts. Here are some
Rising Prison Population in Arizona Read More »
Sure. Everyone wants to reduce crime. And there are a host of theories about how to do it. Some suggest that the way to stop recidivism – that’s the tendency of a convicted criminal to commit additional crimes – is to make the punishment so harsh that it will “deter” the commission of a crime.
Crime Reduction and the Jail Population in Arizona Read More »
SB 1278 went into effect last week. The bill establishes a statewide program for the rehabilitation – rather than imprisonment – of some non-violent felons, including those charged with felony drug crimes. Until now, Maricopa County was the only county in Arizona with a pretrial intervention program aimed at felonies. The bill includes an appropriation
New Arizona Law Could Help Opioid Users Avoid Prison Read More »
It’s not every day that you read a statement by a federal judge describing government actions of any kind as “absurd.” But that is word used by United States Magistrate David K. Duncan after his review of a proposed plan by the Department of Corrections to improve health care in Arizona’s prisons. The genesis of
U.S. Judge: Arizona Prison Health Care Plan “Absurd” Read More »
