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    • Department of Justice Services

     

    The Department of Justice Services continues the fight to prevent over incarceration.


    Old Courthouse Since 2016, Justice Services (formerly known as the Criminal Justice Reform Unit) has been working with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its $1.5 million Safety + Justice Challenge Grant. To reduce jail numbers by addressing the main drivers of the County’s jail population, including warrants for failure to appear on misdemeanor charges and low-level nonviolent offenses related to mental illness and substance abuse.

    The Safety + Justice Challenge aims to reduce over incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails, recognizing that there are better, fairer and more effective alternatives to excessive incarceration.

    Jurisdictions participating in the challenge will develop and model effective ways to keep people out of jail who do not belong there; more effectively reintegrating those formally incarcerated into the community upon release and helping them stay out of jail thereafter.
    In doing so, jurisdictions will demonstrate alternatives to incarceration, creating models for reducing unnecessary jail use to make communities healthier, fairer and safer. These strategies helped reduce the Pima County jail population. While many potentially dangerous and violent offenders are incarcerated, jail data shows many more inmates face lesser, nonviolent misdemeanor charges.  Reducing Pima Counties Jail population 26% from 2,136 in 2014 to 1,574 in 2019

    Pima County Justice Services supports the following initiatives in Pima County.

    • Reduce the cycle of justice involvement while maintaining community safety
    • Save taxpayer dollars through avoided jail time and other justice system costs
    • Improve outcomes for individuals with justice involvement
    • Increase access to treatment, housing, employment and other resources for justice-involved individuals
    (i.e. Justice Reform)
    • Reduce disparity and disproportionality for historically disadvantaged groups
    • Engage with the community to better inform the public on resources for individuals involved in the justice system
    • Seeking public’s input and guidance in justice reform strategies.
    (i.e. Community Collaborative) 

    Become part of the solution.

    As we strive to implement programs that are effective, equitable and accountable to all county residents, Justice Services seeks opportunities to collaborate with diverse leaders from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives and relationships with the local criminal-justice system.

    Stories

    05/26/2022 -- Dozens of officials visit Pima County to learn about justice reform, assisting people with mental-health issue
    Pima County Government

    01/25/2022-- New funding set to help stop racial inequality in jails. 
    KGUN 9 News Tucson

    01/23/2022-- Pima County, YWCA awarded $500,000 to reduce racial disparities in criminal justice
    Arizona Daily Star

    2019

    10/25/2019 -- Legal adversaries agree on new approaches to criminal justice reform
    Pima County Government

    07/19/2019 -- Warrant Resolution Court offers hope for clearing legal hurdles
    Pima County Government

     

    05/31/19 -- Temporary screening facility is big step forward in Pima County's effort to reduce jail population
    Arizona Daily Star

    05/19/19 -- Sizeable reduction of nonviolent drug offenders help secure $1.8M grant for Pima County
    Arizona Daily Star

    04/29/19 -- "In Their Shoes" Reentry Simulation
    Pima County Government

    04/20/19 -- Pima County finding ways to save by reducing jail population
    Arizona Daily Star

    04/02/19 -- Meeting the needs of individuals with substance use disorders: Strategies for law enforcementNational Association of Counties

    03/30/19 -- New jail booking process to save money, keep those facing minor charges out of custody
    Arizona Daily Star

    03/25/19 -- Pima County leading the state in criminal justice reform efforts
    Esmond Station Community Radio

    03/25/19 -- New strategies seek to meet deadline to cut Pima County's jail population
    Arizona Daily Star

    03/18/19 -- Plan to reduce jail population 
    Telemundo Arizona

    01/30/19 -- $8 Million to Advance Local Justice System Reforms
    Safety and Justice Challenge

    01/18/19 -- City, County sue pharmaceutical companies over opioid crisis
    Tucson News Now

    01/12/19 -- Pima County Criminal Justice agencies work toward reducing jail population
    Arizona Daily Star

    2018

    12/16/18 -- Mental health, substance use treatment on their way for Tucson's low-level offenders
    Arizona Daily Star

    12/14/18 -- Pima County seeking help to get homeless into housing and out of jail
    Tucson News Now

    11/22/18 -- America's crime problems being fed by a broken mental health system
    American (In) Justice

    11/15/18 -- Report finds disproportionate sentencing along racial lines in Arizona
    AZ Central

    11/13/18 -- Women's Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018
    PrisonPolicy.Org

    10/12/18 -- $1.4M grant pairs Tucson police with drug counselors in effort to combat opioid crisis
    Arizona Daily Star

    10/02/18 -- Convicted felons in Arizona have tough time getting voting rights back
    Tucson News Now

    08/05/18 -- Law enforcement and mental health partnership pays dividends
    Arizona Daily Star

    07/10/18 -- The U.S. still incarcerates more people than any other country
    CNN

    07/06/18 -- Bail reform means safer communities, by Mary Mergler
    Tribtalk.org

    06/17/18 -- Pima County jail population on the decline as part of multi-million dollar grant
    Arizona Daily Star

    04/03/18 -- Michele's Journey - Mother During and After Incarceration
    Arizona Public Media

    03/15/18 -- Champions of Change
    Safety and Justice Challenge

    03/15/18 -- Less is more when it comes to putting people in jail
    Arizona Capital Times

    02/16/18 -- Panel explores second chances for former inmates
    Pima County Government

    02/07/18 -- Leffert's and Cramer : Jail alternatives can benefit all
    Arizona Daily Star

    01/17/18 -- Safety and Justice Challenge featured jurisdiction: Pima County, Arizona
    National Association of Counties

    01/10/18 -- Ducey delivers State of the State in Tucson
    Tucson News Now

    2017

    12/22/17 -- Community Collaborative members reflect on first year
    Pima County Government

    12/08/17 -- A 'Q and A' with a former inmate, member of Community Collaborative
    Pima County Government

    12/06/17 -- Tucson leaders discuss criminal justice system in summit hosted by The Atlantic
    Arizona Daily Star

    11/08/17 -- Crime victims now have serene space to retreat to at Pima County Superior Court
    Arizona Daily Star

    11/06/17 -- Arizona bans the box requiring a criminal history
    Tucson News Now

    11/05/17 -- Pima County Justice Court's warrant resolution program honored by state
    Arizona Daily Star

    10/12/17 -- From bank robber to law professor: A story of redemption
    CBS News

    10/09/17 -- Congress can help strengthen families and community by acting on criminal justice reform
    The Hill

    10/06/17 -- Justice Court, Tucson City Court participating in warrant resolution night
    Tucson.com

    10/04/17 -- MacArthur's Safety + Justice Challenge announces additional $11.3 million for eight jurisdictions to advance local criminal justice reform
    Safety and Justice Challenge

    09/2017 -- Opening doors
    Vera Institute of Justice

    09/21/17 -- Women, drugs and Arizona Prisons
    Tucson News Now

    09/20/17 -- How to fight modern-day debtors' prison? Sue the courts
    The Marshall Project

    08/25/17 -- Cash bail's lonely defender
    NY Times

    08/18/17 -- Logging in when you're locked up - tablets in jail
    NEWS.AZPM.ORG

    08/07/17 -- Study finds increased incarceration has marginal-to-zero impact on crime
    Equal Justice Initiative

    08/04/17 -- A traffic ticket shouldn't ruin your life
    Pima County Government

    08/02/17 -- Leaving prison, women often face a challenge men don't: motherhood
    WAMU.ORG

    07/27/17 -- Program helps mentally ill inmates get better
    WPBF.COM

    07/22/17 -- New Jersey eliminates most cash bail, leads nation in reforms
    PBS

    07/21/17 -- Active warrants fall to new lows in Tucson, Pima County Courts
    Arizona Daily Star

    07/21/17 -- Department of Labor awards $236,000 grant to Pima County to assist homeless veterans
    Pima County Government

    07/19/17 -- Defendants can't be jailed solely because of  inability to post bail, judge says
    NY Times

    07/17/17 -- Proposed ACA cuts would endanger justice-involved people with disabilities
    Vera Institute of Justice 

    07/17/17 -- A matter of time: the causes and consequences of rising time served in America's prisons
    Urban Institute

    07/17/17 -- Jail reform must address mental health, substance dependence
    Arizona Capital Times

    07/06/17 -- Rural America's Jail Dilemma
    The Crime Report

    06/20/17 -- Editorial by Chuck Huckelberry: Suspends driver's license laws criminalize poverty
    Arizona Daily Star

    06/14/17 -- Nuts and Bolts of Creating a Diversion Program Video
    Pima County Safety + Justice Challenge

    05/25/17 -- Keeping the jail population down
    Tucson News Now

    05/18/17 -- Tucson Police to be trained in handling mental health crisis calls
    Arizona Daily Star

    05/16-17/17 -- Decriminalizing Mental Illness Conference Video
    Pima County Safety + Justice Challenge

    04/29/17 -- Judge in Houston strikes down Harris County's bail system
    Houstonia

    04/27/17 -- Pima County to screen arrestees for behavioral health-issues
    Arizona Daily Star

    04/06/17 -- Saturday's Warrant Resolution event to include Justice Municipal Courts
    Arizona Daily Star

    04/05/17 -- Drug offenders celebrate graduation instead of enduring prison sentence
    Tucson News Now

    02/01/17 -- The Mental Health Investigative Support Team (MHIST) Model... 
    Psychiatry Online

    02/01/17 -- MacArthur Foundation Press Release
    Pima County Safety + Justice Challenge

    2016

    11/09/16 -- Incoming Sheriff Mark Napier ready to get back into law enforcement
    Arizona Daily Star

    11/08/16 -- New Mexico votes to reform bail system that jails people just because they're poor Huffingtonpost

    10/08/16 -- $500k grant to fund job-training for Pima County jail inmates
    Arizona Daily Star

    10/04/16 -- Pima County major achievements over the past 20 years
    Pima County

    09/30/16 -- Felons in County jails to be allowed to vote in California elections
    LA Times

    09-10/16 -- Thousands of girls are locked up for talking back or staying out late
    Mother Jones

    09/02/16 -- Safety and Justice Challenge Announces Collaborative Members
    Pima County Safety + Justice Challenge

    09/02/16 -- The Unmaking of a Murderer
    Barbara Sattler

    08/30/16 -- Tucson's Mental Health Investigation Support Team...
    IACP

    08/29/16 -- Bail bond industry to fight change to 'no money' system
    Arizona Capital Times

    07/22/16 -- Rebuilding on the outside
    Arizona Public Media

    07/19/16 -- Virginia high courts hears republican voting-rights lawsuit
    Reuters

    07/18/16 -- The Harris County DA invites law-breaking citizens to make-it-right 
    Houstonia

    07/11/16 -- Opposing protesters meet in Dallas
    CNN

    06/27/16 -- Justice Department mandates implicit bias training for agents, lawyers
    Reuters

    06/24/16 -- Pell grants for prisoners: Obama to give inmates a second chance at college
    USA Today

    06/2016 -- America's top five deadliest prosecutors: how overzealous personalities drive the death penalty Fair Punishment Project

    05/30/16 -- Pima County to present plans for reducing jail population
    Arizona Daily Star

    05/24/16 -- Have you ever been arrested?
    The New York Times

    05/11/16 -- Is America Engaged in a 'vicious circle' of jailing the poor?
    National Public Radio (NPR)

    D.C. Judge Truman A. Morrison to speak on bail reforms

    Pima County announces 18-member Safety and Justice Challenge Community Collaborative

    Arizona police sign on to the White House plan to cut jail populations

    Efforts begin to reduce Pima County Jail population - Tucson News Now

    Pima County to present plans to reduce jail population - Arizona Daily Star

    Pima County goal: Reduce jail population in three years

    $1.5 million grant to help Pima County reduce jail population - Arizona Public Media Pima County receives prestigious grant to reduce jail population - Tucson News Now Pima County awarded grant to reduce jail population MacArthur Foundation bails out jurisdictions that jail too many - Huffington Post $1.5 million grant to help reduce Pima jail population - Tucson Sentinel

    Arizona Daily Star Story: Pima Seeks Grant to Cut Jail Population

    Pima County participating in the MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge

    County leaders hold community forum to discuss jail overcrowding

    Discussions revolve around who is incarcerated, how to address inequities

    Safety and Justice Challenge committee members discussion

    Judge Davis encouraged by Pima County's efforts

    Coming Summer 2022 (June or July track, & September completion) 
    Fundamentals of Race and Equity (6 part series)
    Presented by; The Shriver Center on Poverty Law

    Spring 2022
    Structural Well-Being 
    Presented by; The Burns Institute

    Fall 2021
    Being Trauma -Informed in the Justice System 
    Presented By; Da'Mond Holt, Ph.D.  

    Photos

    2022 Tucson Palooza

    Department of Justice Services and The YWCA of Southern Arizona, supporting Tucson Palooza 2022













     

    India Davis

    Pima County Corrections Chief India Davis leads a table discussion during a Safety & Justice Challenge Community Conversation hosted by the YWCA and the Safety & Justice Planning Team on Oct. 26, 2015.

    See more photos.

    macarthur meeting
    Jessie Warner, an associate with Justice System Partners, takes notes during a discussion on local data gathered through the Safety and Justice Challenge.

    See more photos.

    judge davisSenior Judge Andre Davis of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals discusses “Racial and Ethnic Equality in the Criminal Justice System" as part of Pima County's participation in the Safety and Justice Challenge.

    See more photos.
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    Justice Services

    201 N. Stone Ave., 2nd Floor
    Tucson, AZ 85701

    520-724-9933
    JusticeServices@pima.gov


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