Why conservatives champion reducing prison time
I was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives on a promise that I would fight for individual liberty and accountability. These are values that I hold dear as a Republican, and I ran for office because I want to make sure that our laws reflect them.
These values are also what led me to sponsor House Bill 2270, legislation that would allow people to earn their way home from prison if they participate in programs that improve their chances of success once released.
Today, Arizona provides few opportunities for people in prison to turn their lives around. Our state is one of only three that makes people serve 85 percent or more of their sentence, even if they maintain good behavior and participate in programs that reduce their risk to commit another crime. Research has shown that providing people with an incentive to work on their job skills, parenting, and substance abuse or mental health issues dramatically improves their chances of success.
As a person of strong faith, I also believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption and we should be doing more than just warehousing people in prison. Arizona’s prison sentences are some of the longest in the country, and we have ample opportunity to focus more on rehabilitation and less on punishment while also maintaining accountability.
Perhaps most importantly, our current policies are failing to make us safer at great cost to taxpayers. Since 2000, Arizona’s prison population has grown by almost 60 percent, far outpacing the growth of the resident population. Our state has the fourth-highest imprisonment rate in the nation, meaning that we put more of our people in prison per capita than other state — except for Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi.
This growth has come with a hefty price tag. Our bloated prison system costs taxpayers over $1 billion each year and our crime rate is no better than states with smaller prison populations. In fact, 32 states have reduced both crime and imprisonment rates over the past decade.
Arizona is not one of them.
As a conservative legislator, I don’t mind investing in government programs that work. Sadly, that has not been the case with prisons. One out of every two inmates leaving Arizona’s prisons returns to custody within three years, a record some call disappointing. I call it a disgrace. Arizonans deserve better. That’s why I introduced HB 2270. Unlike our current one-size-fits-all policy, this legislation will give people an opportunity and an incentive to prepare for release. People convicted of non-dangerous crimes would be able to earn an additional 35 percent off their sentences by following the rules and participating in programming.
HB 2270 mirrors policies in the federal First Step Act, signed by President Donald Trump in December and endorsed by national Republican and conservative leaders. In his State of the Union this week, the president called upon states to follow his lead in passing criminal justice reform legislation, saying “America is a nation that believes in redemption.”
I could not agree more. This bill is rooted in our conservative values, as well as the research about what works to correct criminal behavior. Rather than continue to pour money down the drain, it’s time to adopt commonsense reforms that will improve public safety, save taxpayers money and better prepare our fellow citizens to work and support their families.