State Rep. Walt Blackman has introduced legislation that would expand the availability of earned release credits for people in Arizona prisons.
Currently inmates in Arizona are mandated to spend 85% of their sentence behind bars.
Blackman’s bill would allow non-violent offenders to earn an additional 15% off their sentence by completing drug programming.
“This is a crisis issue that we are at right now," Blackman said at the Capitol on Thursday. "We’re at a crossroads at our state. With 43,000 inmates and a tax bill of $1.1 billion, it’s time that we do something.”
Blackman said his bill would help to reduce recidivism rates and increase public safety.
Blackman’s previous bill with similar language did not get a hearing in the House Judiciary committee. He said he would like to see this version assigned to the Public Safety committee.