AZ Republic – One Simple Prison Policy Change Could Have the Economic Impact of 30 High-Tech Factories
Arizonans rightly expect elected leaders to make the best possible use of their tax dollars. After all, wise policy decisions in the past have helped Arizona be a leader in economic growth.
A new report highlights a way that state officials could save taxpayers $1.5 billion over the next decade — while doing right by Arizona families and prioritizing public safety. The answer to where these savings can be found might surprise you: by enacting commonsense criminal justice reforms that would expand opportunities for incarcerated people to earn an early release.
This new report, Arizona Criminal Justice Reform: Savings and Economic Benefits, makes clear that increasing earned release credits to 50% for people convicted of nondangerous offenses would financially benefit Arizona communities and families, and would help safely reduce the dangerously high prison population.
