Prisons, Parks, People, and Prospects...

This piece from the Kingman Daily Miner about privatizing the parks and prisons (here's what I think about privatizing prisons) quotes AZ State Senator Ron Gould, who happens to be the new chair of the AZ Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm not infused with hope about the prospects for sentencing reform based on Gould's recent interviews - though he was responding largely to the issue of sex offender sentencing, which is always a touchy subject.

I know the escape was traumatic for the Kingman community - and horrendous for the Haas family of Oklahoma in particular. Just once, though, I'd like to hear legislators talk about protecting the lives and safety of all people in Arizona - prisoners included (not all of whom are sociopathic killers) - instead of just "taxpayers". We're all taxpayers in this state, anyway, with an ever greater burden being shifted to the middle class, the elderly, and poor families through sales tax increases and corporate tax breaks/welfare - while at the same time they build more prisons and gut the public schools.

What's that all about, anyway? How is it good for taxpayers to spend more money incarcerating Arizonans than we spend educating our children?

Still, Gould's district includes state Representative Doris Goodale, who is a former probation officer and who I believe has a serious concern for human rights, which may at least bode well for prison reform next session. And while Senator Gould may be conservative, I don't have reason to believe that he's outright cruel, so perhaps he'll be able to hear and consider the concerns many of us have for the high proportion of people with mental illness that are being incarcerated in this state, and the poor treatment they receive in prison. With Cecil Ash chairing the AZ House Health and Human Services Committee next session, I'm hoping something can be done to divert more vulnerable adults with psychiatric disabilities away from the criminal justice system - maybe that will be an area that he and Gould can find common ground on.

Stay tuned...