SENT BY ACTIVATE 48
December 5, 2022
RE: Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry
Dear Governor-Elect Hobbs & Esteemed Transition Team,
As organizations with long histories of working on criminal justice policies and reforms, our groups represent a range of perspectives on how to improve Arizona’s justice system. We all want Arizona to be a safe place, where families and businesses can feel welcome and at home. And we are united by a desire and commitment to see more just and equitable outcomes for the people of our state via our criminal justice system.
Unfortunately, under your predecessor’s administration we watched Arizona fall behind on creating safer prisons. For too long Arizona has been one of the nation’s leaders in incarceration levels, harsh sentencing laws, and high recidivism rates. Our criminal legal system disproportionately and adversely impacts black and brown Arizonans and women, particularly when compared to our peers in other states. And runaway public spending, fiscal mismanagement, understaffing, and an emphasis on punishment over rehabilitation and safety have plagued the Department of Corrections.
We celebrate your commitment to reducing and eliminating racial disparities in the criminal justice system and are pleased to see this identified as one of your priorities in your Equity & Justice Plan. We are committed to working alongside you to advocate for a system that puts people over profits and supports rehabilitation, reintegration, alternatives to incarceration, and the general public good.
As incoming Governor and representatives of her office, we’d like to respectfully make the following recommendations:
1. We recommend a forensic audit of the Department of Corrections, and a thorough evaluation of the agency’s fiscal management. Our state spends more than $1.3 billion annually on the Department of Corrections – more than a tenth of our annual budget. Within this agency, private contracts channel millions in taxpayer dollars to corporate actors responsible for much of the work of the agency. Difficult transitions in leadership, successful legal challenges against the department, and allegations of mismanagement have damaged public trust in the institution. Under your leadership we see an opportunity to evaluate the financial standing of the agency. This will advance transparency and trust, while equipping incoming leaders with the information they need to be successful.
2. We recommend that you engage in a comprehensive national search for a new director for the Department of Corrections. As part of this process, we suggest appointing an interim director to replace Director David Schinn. As advocates many of our organizations are concerned about fast-tracking the process of appointing a new Director. This role is critically important to bringing meaningful improvements to the Department of Corrections. Identifying the right leader to bring transparency to the agency, work effectively with staff, respond to your priorities, and engage community stakeholders will take significant time and energy. As organizations working in this arena, we would like to offer our support in serving in an advisory role to identify key criteria needed in a new leader for the department, and inform recruitment for the role. We would also respectfully recommend that directly impacted and formerly incarcerated individuals be part of this process.
We congratulate you on your victory and appreciate the opportunity to engage in bringing new leadership to this issue and to our state. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Patricia & Terry Borden, Directors, AZRSOL
President Kiana M. Sears, East Valley NAACP
Caroline Isaacs, Executive Director, Just Communities Arizona
Claire Tate, Vice President, The S.T.A.R.T. Project
American Civil Liberties Union
Dianne Post, Attorney, NAACP Arizona State Conference
Laura Dent, Coalition Director, Activate 48
Sue Braga, Advocate for Incarcerated Women
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice