Committee Chairs:

1. Judiciary Committee Chair, Rep. John Allen
2. Public Safety Committee Chair, Rep. Kevin Payne

Letter:

Hon. Rep. [Name]
Arizona State Capitol Complex
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007

February 04, 2019

Dear Rep. [Name]:

I am writing to ask you to please grant a hearing on HB2270, the legislation sponsored by your colleague, Hon. Rep. Walter Blackman, R-Snowflake, and endorsed by Americans for Prosperity (AFP), that reforms Arizona’s harsh and ineffective sentencing laws. Arizona has the 4th highest incarceration rate in the US, and the Arizona Department of Corrections has a recidivism rate of over 50% despite spending over $1.1 billion of taxpayer money annually.

We all want a justice system that is fair and proportionate, as well as effective at reducing recidivism. However, the outdated practice of requiring all people to serve 85% of their sentence — regardless of the nature of the offense or their attempts to rehabilitate themselves — is costly and counterproductive. Arizona is the only state that still has this extreme sentencing law.

We must restore proportionality and common sense to our sentencing laws. People should have the opportunity to earn their release at a rate that is in line with the seriousness of the offense for which they were incarcerated.

In the 2019 Legislative session, I am asking you — as a member of the House Judiciary Committee — to support HB2270 to ensure fair and proportionate sentencing for all people in Arizona. Instead of focusing on punishment, I ask you to allocate our valuable resources to areas of prevention and healing such as public education, trauma counseling, family reunification, and drug treatment without the threat of prison.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,