Arizona State Prison: The proposal would allow judges to impose shorter prison terms in cases of “nondangerous offenses” when it is “in the interest of justice.”
/Josh Galemore /Arizona Daily Star
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Daily Star
An organization that has been seeking prison reform for years has now decided to ask voters to do what lawmakers and the governor so far will not: revamp the so-called “truth in sentencing” laws.
The proposal by the American Friends Service Committee would keep the laws that set out minimum, presumptive and maximum sentences for various crimes.
But it would allow judges to impose shorter prison terms in cases of “nondangerous offenses” when it is “in the interest of justice.”
Another provision of the initiative would allow inmates sentenced for non-dangerous offenses to be released after serving 50% of their time. Now the minimum is 85%.
And it would end the practice by some prosecutors of “stacking” charges in a way that allows someone to be sentenced as a repeat offender even if they have no prior convictions.
