Arizona Announces Actions to Aid in Prison Safety, Security

By Charlie Lange

PHOENIX — On Monday, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADCRR) released a plan to reduce violence and increase safety and security for both inmates and staff across the state’s prison facilities.

The Department says the measures, which include increased use of body cameras and CCTV technology to more extensive programming and support, cover the entire incarceration process from intake to release and focus on rehabilitating inmates to successfully reenter society.

“Working collaboratively with countless partners and supporters from around the state, ADCRR’s nearly 9,000 correctional officers and staff remain dedicated to their duties of public safety and rehabilitation,” said ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell. “Powered by their 24/7 public service, ADCRR will continue to reduce prison violence, creating safer prisons, safer communities, and a safer Arizona for all.”

The actions are part of the Department’s ongoing response to violent incidents within the system in recent years, including the killing of three inmates by another inmate at a Tucson facility in April as well as several suicides, staff assaults and drug overdoses.

Specific Actions

Now, the Department says that specific infrastructure changes will increase security, such as the use of CCTV and body-worn cameras to enable its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to better surveil close-custody units and respond to incidents in real time. Additionally, the Department has begun issuing inmates certain items that are less likely to be used as weapons, such as plastic fans and smaller, lightweight padlocks, and modernized its mail processing protocols to reduce the entry of contraband into facilities.

The ADCRR also says it will expand workforce and job skill development offerings to improve reentry and reduce recidivism. Working with Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI), the Department has increased programming options by 10% and is working to add additional programs, including new professional certifications and registered apprenticeships. ADCRR currently offers 42 workforce development opportunities, which serve approximately 1,550 incarcerated individuals.

Additionally, the Department said it has expanded its educational opportunities, increased instructor enrollment and improved testing procedures. It also launched a Peer Support Program in July, delivering co-led educational, vocational and rehabilitative programming to individuals in intake and housing areas, close- and max-custody units, mental health and security watch areas, reentry centers and other supervised sites.

Lastly, ADCRR has expanded its Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services to nine facilities statewide, with an average of almost 7,000 individuals receiving counseling and release-planning services, each month.

On the staffing side, ADCRR says it has “undergone a generational shift” in its training and development programming “to provide existing and incoming staff with the resources necessary to address the challenges of a modern corrections environment.” These measures include:

• An increase in High-Risk Assignment Pay (HRAP) for officers in close-custody units
• A revamping of ADCRR’s Correctional Officer Training Academy (COTA) training curriculum to meet modern correctional care standards
• Establishing a new Next Level Leadership Workshop for all levels of leadership staff across the Department
• Increased hiring efforts of frontline staffing, decreasing vacancy rates
• Realigning correctional corporal positions to make those positions more rewarding and offer better opportunities for career advancement

Responses

ADCRR’s recent release included positive perspectives on the Department’s efforts to make its prisons safer and more conducive to inmates’ ability to successfully reintegrate into their communities after release.

“The Department has strengthened public safety by embedding reentry coordinators in the community and opening the doors for community partners to support people inside. These efforts not only reduce violence but also create hope, and improve the culture on units,” said George Nolan, Director of Marketing and Outreach for re-entry support group New Freedom.

“Whether it’s providing faith-based services, educational opportunities, workforce training, or treatment services for incarcerated individuals, I appreciate ADCRR’s innovative approach to inmate rehabilitation with an eye toward the future,” commented State Representative Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton.