While the overall crime rate has been decreasing, the number of repeat and violent offenders being housed in Arizona's prisons has been increasing.
According to the Arizona Sentencing Report, between 2009 and 2013, the number of nonviolent offenders decreased 5.25 percent, while the number of violent offenders increased 5.3 percent. Violent and repeat offenders make up 95 percent of the prison population in Arizona, and nonviolent first-time offenders made up less than 5 percent.
According to a 2010 report from the Arizona Office of the Auditor General, the prison population was expected to reach 50,000 by 2016, thus necessitating the need of another 6,500 private prison beds at a cost of $640.7 million through 2017.
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Currently, Arizona is one of the nation's leaders in using private prisons with 11 percent of the state's inmate population housed in them. Arizona has an inmate population of about 586 per 100,000 population. It has been noted by some agencies that private prisons don't have any incentive to offer recidivism programs to help prevent repeat offenders.
The Arizona Sentencing Report, which is maintained by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys' Advisory Council, noted that the sentencing laws for Arizona are working and are putting the right kinds of people away; however, they say more funds to need to be devoted to reducing the recidivism rate. They do explain that Arizona does have programs and treatments in place to help change the thinking behind crime-driven activities, but said they could use some "beefing up."
In 2013, Arizona had about 42,000 inmates in prison, each inmate costs the state about $60 a day, which is $21,900 a year and roughly $919.8 million a year total.
According to the website Arizona Indicators, most inmates average about 668 days incarcerated in one of the state's prisons. However, the Arizona Sentencing Report is quick to remind the public that there is a cost savings to the public by not having the criminals on the streets because the state, counties, cities, and residents aren't having to pay for damages and resources used to keep catching and releasing the same people.
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