Arizona needs bold and comprehensive criminal justice reform that honors victims, taxpayers and the currently incarcerated. We are asking Speaker Russell Bowers to reinstate the Arizona House Sentencing and Recidivism Reform Committee.
Why is this important?
Arizona is the 4th most incarcerating state in the Union and by these actions is destroying families and communities.
• We need to stop thinking that punishment is the solution to the problem.
• We need to stop spending billions of dollars warehousing humans.
• We need to begin investing in all the things that can make criminal behavior less likely.
• We need this committee to be bi partisan, equally represented by Republicans and Democrats.
Our incarcerated community is not only living in inhumane conditions but also suffering from the lack of medical care, nutritious food, programs and education, incentives for an earlier release. Our prison system does not offer a true path of restorative justice.
For true reform to occur, the Department of Corrections need to provide education, programming and vocational training for ALL incarcerated people, not only for those that are close to be released.
