>>> THE ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE
SESSION IS WINDING DOWN AT THE
STATE CAPITOL IN PHOENIX.
THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH IS
USUALLY THE LAST TIME FOR BILLS
TO BE HEARD, AND THERE'S ONE
TOPIC THAT LOBBYISTS HAVE TRIED
UNSUCCESSFULLY TO GET BEFORE
LAWMAKERS.
IT'S AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
FWD.US IS A BIPARTISAN POLITICAL
ADVOCACY GROUP THAT POLLED
NEARLY A THOUSAND ARIZONANS AND
FOUND THAT THE VAST MAJORITY
WANT TO SEE SOME TYPE OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
HERE'S EMILY LEVETT, A STATE
POLICY MANAGER FOR THE
ORGANIZATION.
>> OUR GOAL IN TERMS OF THE
IDEAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS
ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, SHRINKS THE
SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE PRISON
SYSTEM HERE IN THE UNITED STATES
AND SORT OF REUNITES MORE
FAMILIES.
>> ARIZONA HAS HEARD ABOUT
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM,
ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY MADE
ANY HEADWAY WHEN IT COMES TO
CONVERSATIONS AT THE CAPITOL.
WHY IS THAT?
>> I THINK IT IS NOT FOR A LACK
OF SUPPORT AND EXCITEMENT, YOU
KNOW.
THIS SESSION, WE AT FWD ARE
TRACKING LIKE SIX BILLS, SIX
REALLY SMART, ROBUST CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM BILLS.
THOSE BILLS WERE ALL SPONSORED
BY REPUBLICANS.
THEY ALL HAD A TON OF SUPPORT IN
THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS AND THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.
WE DID POLLING, WHICH SHOWED A
TON OF SUPPORT FOR THOSE TYPES
OF REFORMS, RIGHT?
SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF SUPPORT.
WHERE WE'RE GETTING BLOCKED IS
THAT THERE ARE A FEW POWERFUL
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE WHO
ARE UNWILLING TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION.
AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE IN THOSE
POSITIONS, IT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY HARD TO SEE A CHANGE MOST
ARIZONANS WANT.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REFORM,
WHAT AVENUES ARE YOU EXPLORING?
>> WE AT FWD LOOK AT ALL THE
DATA ABOUT SORT OF WHO IS COMING
INTO PRISON IN ARIZONA AND HOW
LONG THEY'RE STAYING AND SEEING
WHERE ARIZONA IS AN OUTLIER FROM
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
SO WHAT WE SEE IN ARIZONA IS TWO
BASIC REASONS THAT ARIZONA IS AN
OUTLIER.
THE FIRST REASON IS DRUG CRIMES.
A TON OF PEOPLE GO TO PRISON FOR
NON-VIOLENT DRUG AND PROPERTY
CRIMES IN ARIZONA.
AND SINCE 2000, THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENTERED PRISONS,
HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO PRISONS
FOR NON-VIOLENT DRUG AND
PROPERTY CRIMES, HAS GROWN BY
80%.
THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE.
WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE
BEST ADDRESS PEOPLE WITH DRUG
ADDICTION IN ARIZONA.
THE SECOND SORT OF BIG REASON
THAT ARIZONA IS AN OUTLIER IS
HOW LONG PEOPLE SPEND IN PRISON.
SO WE DID AN AN AL SIS WHERE WE
LOOKED AT PRISON LENGTHS IN
ARIZONA.
WHAT YOU SEE IS PEOPLE STAY
BEHIND BARS IN PRISON IN ARIZONA
FAR LONGER THAN OTHER STATES.
FOR DRUG OFFENSES, PEOPLE STAY
BEHIND BARS FOR ABOUT 40% LONGER
IN ARIZONA THAN THEY DO FOR THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE.
FOR PROPERTY, IT'S ABOUT TWICE
AS LONG.
>> THESE ARE PERHAPS NON-VIOLENT
CRIMES BUT THERE ARE VICTIMS
ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THESE
DRUG CRIMES.
>> MM-HMM.
>> IS THAT PERHAPS ONE OF THE
HANGUPS?
>> I'VE WORKED IN A LOT OF OTHER
STATES ON SIMILAR ISSUES, AND I
THINK WHAT A LOT OF VICTIMS WANT
OUT OF THE SYSTEM IS TO BE
RESTORED, RIGHT?
THEY WANT TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY
BACK THAT WAS STOLEN.
IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF INJURY,
YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT
BACK, RIGHT?
AND WHAT WE SEE IS THAT SENDING
A PERSON AWAY TO PRISON FOR A
LONG PERIOD OF TIME DOES
ACTUALLY VERY LITTLE TO RESTORE
THAT VICTIM AND TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY GET THEIR MONEY BACK
OR WHATEVER THEY NEED TO SORT OF
GET BACK ON THEIR FEET AGAIN.
>> ARIZONA HAS LONG HAD A
REPUTATION FOR BEING A VERY
CONSERVATIVE STATE, BUT THERE
ARE OTHER CONSERVATIVE STATES
THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH, YOU'VE
EXPLORED, AND THEY'VE COME
AROUND TO THIS IDEA.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, ARIZONA IS THE FOURTH
HIGHEST IMPRISONER IN THE
NATION.
THE TOP THREE, THE THREE BEFORE
ARIZONA ARE OKLAHOMA, LOUISIANA,
MISSISSIPPI.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK
IN ALL OF THOSE STATES, AND WHAT
SORT OF BEGAN A CONVERSATION
ABOUT REFORM IN ALL THOSE
STATES -- AND THEY ALL HAVE
PASSED PRETTY CONSERVATIVE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM PACKAGES
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS -- IS A
LOOK AT THE DATA AND A LOOK AT
THE RESEARCH.
AND WHAT THE DATA SHOWS IS THAT
PUTTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN
PRISON, ESPECIALLY FOR
NON-VIOLENT CRIMES, DOES NOT
MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY SORT OF
STARTED WITH THAT EVIDENCE AND
STARTED WITH THAT DATA AND BUILT
A REALLY ROBUST, SMART PACKAGE
FROM THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING WE CAN DO
NEXT SESSION IN ARIZONA.
>> WHAT'S THE COST OF ALL THIS?
>> THERE'S THE COST TO THE
STATE.
ARIZONA TAXPAYERS PAY
$1.1 BILLION ON PRISONS EACH
YEAR.
I THINK IN SOME WAYS THAT'S AN
UNDERESTIMATION BECAUSE THAT
DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE COST TO
THE FAMILY IF A PARENT IS
INCARCERATED.
THOSE ARE MUCH HARDER TO
CALCULATE.
>> WHAT'S THE ULTIMATE GOAL
HERE?
IT'S NOT JUST TO GET PEOPLE OUT
OF PRISON BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE
SOME SOCIETAL IMPACT THAT YOU
FORESEE.
>> RIGHT NOW, ARIZONA IS
SPENDING MORE THAN A BILLION
DOLLARS ON PRISONS, RIGHT?
IF YOU HAD FEWER NON-VIOLENT
DRUG AND PROPERTY OFFENDERS IN
PRISON, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH
THAT MONEY?
