Police can take people into custody for various reasons, and numerous laws limit and define what can happen after. The legislatures and governors of two states recently acted to place one significant new restriction on police-detainee interactions: having sex has been legislated to be taboo, something detainees cannot legally consent to. It’s not as though…

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By Christopher Zoukis Prison Legal News has launched an important lawsuit against Arizona’s Department of Corrections over the withholding of their publication from prisoners. The editions in question discuss documented cases of rape and sexual violence perpetrated by prison staff against inmates—one of which took place in an Arizona prison and was heard in federal…

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By Tony Shaw Would our state rather send our kids to prison than educate them? Governor Doug Ducey’s budget confirms this with his intention to cut education spending while budgeting for thousands more private prison beds at a cost of $52 million to house nonviolent offenders. As a private attorney for 42 years I have…

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By Craig Harris Gov. Doug Ducey is opening the door to allow counties to compete against private-prison companies for a lucrative multimillion-dollar contract to house state inmates. The move comes after county sheriffs — including conservatives — complained that the Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature weren’t giving them an opportunity to make money by putting…

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By Robert Robb The knock on Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget that seems to have gained the most traction is that it shortchanges K-12 education in favor of prisons. Now, an argument can be made that Arizona underfunds K-12 education. In fact, I’ve made it. There’s a reasonable discussion to be had about Arizona’s incarceration rates.…

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By Sam Brodey In his inaugural speech in January, Arizona’s new Republican governor, Doug Ducey, struck a budget hawk’s tone while staring down a $1.5 billion budget shortfall. “Fair warning: The budget will not meet with general approval among special interests.” he said. “I can assure you that a more efficient government is not only necessary,…

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By Dianne Frazee-Walker The Yavapai Reentry Project, established in 2011, fulfills a critical need within the state prison system and the Prescott, Arizona area. The main objective of the program is to empower newly released inmates and create a safe environment for the communities they re-enter. The goal of human service non-profit organizations, government agencies,…

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On May 15, 2014, the State of Arizona joined six other states and one territory in a dubious group that has missed the deadline for compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), a federal statutory scheme that set “national standards for the detection, reduction and punishment of prison rape,” signed into law in 2003. …

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