Community members express concerns of criminal justice system
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West Valley View reported that community members are concerned because Arizona’s incarceration rate has gone up, but crime has decreased, according to remarks made at a recent public Arizona Town Hall meeting.
Arizona Town Hall partnered with ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy to conduct the "Arizona Town Hall Background Report" that describes the criminal justice system. Analysts and researchers from ASU found Arizona has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. About 56,000 people are in Arizona’s prison and county jails.
Rehabilitation and public safety were recurring topics. According to the report, 18 percent of released prisoners return to the prison system within six months and taxpayers pay about $525 annually for every person in the criminal justice system.
The community meetings are held throughout the year in preparation for Arizona Town Hall’s statewide meetings November 8 to November 10 at Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix. In the statewide meeting, participants will have an in-depth discussion and will come to an agreement about further action to the criminal justice system to conduct their final recommendations report.
READ: Residents gather to discuss state’s criminal justice system