I had a family emergency on the morning of this meeting and was unable to attend to give my own testimony, which I'll mail to them and post as soon as I have time (if I still have time). The administrative contact person for the committee appears to be his assistant, Maureen WIlliams, at mwilliams@azleg.gov or 602-926-3695 - I'd suggest sending any additional remarks you have for the committee to her. Please do so, if you have anything constructive to add at all - but read the whole set of meeting minutes at the Legs website first - we need to respond directly to Fischer's report; Mona Lynch did a lot towards that end.

This comes to us from Camille Tilley, by the way - she's on top of all of this better than I am most days.

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Minutes of Meeting

Friday, May 14, 2010

House Hearing Room 5 -- 10:00 a.m.

Chairman Ash called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. and attendance was noted by the secretary.

Members Present

Representative Goodale Representative Ash, Chairman

Representative Hendrix

Members Absent

Representative Konopnicki (excused) Representative Tovar (excused)

Representative Sinema (excused)

Opening Remarks

Chairman Ash remarked that the state’s financial situation has compelled legislators to re-evaluate state government and this seems like a good opportunity to review the state’s sentencing structure. There have been 30 years for evaluation since the Sentencing Code was reenacted in 1978; there have been some good results, but some things need to be looked at in light of technological advances and other methods of incarceration, sentencing and rehabilitation.

Mrs. Goodale welcomed everyone and said she is excited about the opportunity to look at new research and what has been working in other states. She served as a probation officer in
Mohave County for 33 years where she interacted with many people in the criminal justice system from the judiciary to the prisons. She believes it will be possible to develop a better product that will serve everyone while preserving public safety, which is first and foremost, and fiscally watching taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Hendrix stated that he appreciates Chairman Ash taking a lead on this issue and he looks forward to being involved.

Testimony and remaining document here.

Please Read it.

I encourage as many people as possible to attend and sign up to speak at this committee meeting Friday. Read up on Fischer's study first, if you can (here's the press release - it's rather disturbing); the data he has is useful, but I take issue with many of his conclusions. Professor Lynch may rebut some of what he has to say; Franklin Zimring also has some interesting analyses of the trends in crime and punishment over the past decade (here's a sample; Google him for more).

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Interim agendas can be obtained via the Internet at http://www.azleg.state.az.us/InterimCommittees.asp

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

INTERIM MEETING NOTICE

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

HOUSE STUDY COMMITTEE ON SENTENCING

Date: Friday, May 14, 2010

Time: 10:00 A.M. or upon recess or adjournment of Floor

Place: HHR 5

AGENDA

1.	Call to Order
2.	Opening Remarks
3.	Testimony on Sentencing: · Representative Jerry Madden, Texas State Representative; Vice-Chair, House Corrections Committee; Member, House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee · Dana Hlavac, Deputy County Manager, Mohave County Criminal Justice Services · Daryl R. Fischer, Ph.D., author “Prisoners in Arizona, A Profile of the Inmate Population” [March, 2010] · Robert Hirsh, Pima County Public Defender · Derek Rapier, Greenlee County Attorney; Chairman, Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council · Jeremy Mussman, Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office · Mona Lynch, Associate Professor of Criminology, Law and Society, University of California Irvine; author, Sunbelt Justice: Arizona and the Transformation of American Punishment [Stanford University Press 2009] · David Gallagher, Executive Director, Arizona Addiction Treatment Programs, Inc. · Senator John Huppenthal, Arizona State Senate, District 20
4.	Public Testimony
5.	Discussion
6.	Adjourn

Members:

Representative Cecil Ash, Chair
Representative Doris Goodale
Representative Laurin Hendrix
Representative Bill Konopnicki
Representative Kyrsten Sinema
Representative Anna Tovar

2/4/10

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