HB 2270 Deserves a Hearing
TELL REP. ALLEN AND REP. PAYNE: HB 2270 DESERVES A HEARING!
Arizona has the fourth highest incarceration rate and a corrections budget of $1.1 billion. Our state incarcerates more people for longer periods of time than neighboring states and it's not making us any safer. If Arizona's imprisonment rate matched Utah’s, it would save more than $600 million a year, according to a report by FWD.us. That's nearly the full cost of a 20 percent increase in teacher pay across the state.
Arizona's harsh sentencing laws contribute to its mass incarceration crisis. Arizona's practice of requiring all people to serve 85 percent of their sentence—regardless of the severity of the offense or their attempts to rehabilitate themselves—is costly, ineffective, and outdated. Arizona is one of the only states that has this extreme sentencing law. HB 2270 will allow people who've made significant progress in prison to earn their way to an earlier release date, so they can be reunited with their families and start contributing to their communities sooner. It will restore hope to incarcerated individuals and their families and give them an incentive to take part in rehabilitative programming. HB 2270 is the smart approach to criminal justice.
Tell Representative John Allen and Representative Kevin Payne to give HB 2270 a hearing!
Message Recipients:
Representative John Allen, Judiciary Committee Chair
Representative Kevin Payne, Public Safety Committee Chair
