{"id":308,"date":"2026-05-15T08:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=308"},"modified":"2026-05-15T08:03:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:03:26","slug":"it-exists-on-paper-only-how-arizona-prison-oversight-office-remains-unfunded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=308","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It exists on paper only\u2019: How Arizona prison oversight office remains unfunded"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 An independent oversight office created to bring accountability to Arizona\u2019s prison system has no funding a year after it was signed into law. The Independent Correctional Oversight Office exists only on paper. Without funding, it has no office and no staff.<\/p>\n

Read more Man, woman who witnessed fatal I-10 crash say truck driver\u2019s final maneuver saved their lives<\/a><\/p>\n

The office was stripped of funding just before the bill creating it passed last year with widespread bipartisan support. Advocates hoped money would be allocated in next year\u2019s budget, but as negotiations continue, they worry it won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

Prison system concerns continue<\/h2>\n

Arizona\u2019s prison system has faced concerns for years about understaffing and overcrowding. Earlier this year, a federal judge ordered a third-party takeover of prison health care, writing that inadequate care was leading to suffering and preventable deaths.<\/p>\n

Veronica Baca\u2019s son Daniel is incarcerated at Arizona State Prison Complex Yuma. She said his medical needs are not being met. She worries about his safety and, in the summer, about the lack of air conditioning.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery important that they address the inmates\u2019 needs. They\u2019re not wants, they\u2019re needs,\u201d Baca said.<\/p>\n

Baca said she made complaints about her concerns, but nothing has been addressed.<\/p>\n

Advocates push for funding<\/h2>\n

The Independent Correctional Oversight Office was created by state lawmakers last year to help reform the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, it exists on paper only because there\u2019s no funding,\u201d Estrella Lopez of the Justice Action Network said.<\/p>\n

Lopez\u2019s organization is pushing for $1.5 million in next year\u2019s budget for the oversight office. She said the state spends nearly $1.5 billion each year on its prison system.<\/p>\n

Read more Arizona man accused of kidnapping Utah girl had history of sex crime claims<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the costs that the state has been made to bear with lawsuits and now with federal receivership, it\u2019s just really a great investment that will avert future costs,\u201d Lopez said.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, and state Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, sponsored the bill and continue to push for the office to be funded in next year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the long run I think it\u2019s a really great investment. It potentially helps buffer, so the feds don\u2019t come and take our prisons over and obviously we want to make sure we\u2019re protecting as many lives as possible. It\u2019s really tough being a correctional officer,\u201d Bolick said.<\/p>\n

Baca had a message for state legislators: \u201cFix what is broken. Take care of the issues that need address.\u201d<\/p>\n

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? <\/i>Please click here to report it<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Read more Deadly rollover crash on Interstate 10 tests Tucson Fire\u2019s tools<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arizona’s Family Investigates found the state’s prison oversight office has no funding and no power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018It exists on paper only\u2019: How Arizona prison oversight office remains unfunded - Tucson Moving Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=308\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018It exists on paper only\u2019: How Arizona prison oversight office remains unfunded - 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