Arizona

For Media Inquiries:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM releases statement following Arizona House vote on prison oversight

PHOENIX – FAMM Vice President of Policy Molly Gill released the following statement after the Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill that would create independent oversight in Arizona’s prisons:

“While the avalanche of ongoing crises in Arizona’s prisons seems daunting, it has a simple solution: independent oversight,” Gill said. “The oversight office created by this bill would have prevented or limited so many of the state’s current prison problems and costs. Oversight will save money and make staff and people in prison safer. We hope the Senate will follow the House in passing this much-needed bill.”

The vote comes a week after the Arizona Department of Corrections was hit with a $1.1 million fine; it was the second fine of over $1 million in the last three years.

For nearly three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM’s focus on ending a one-size-fits-all punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies at the state and federal level and is paving the way to programs that support rehabilitation for the 94% of all prisoners who will return to our neighborhoods one day.

###

FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safeguard taxpayer dollars and keep our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM is helping transform America’s criminal justice system by uniting the voices of impacted families and individuals and elevating the issues all across the country.