>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD MORNING WELCOME TO SUNDAY SQUARE OFF.
HERE'S TODAY'S RUNDOWN.
>> HAS HASHTAG WAS THINGS THAT
MATTER SO HOW MANY THINGS IN
DOUG DUCEY'S SPEECH REALLY
MATTER?
MATTER?
MATTER? >> IT'S HIGH TIME.
>> WE GET THE LAST LAUGH AS HE
GIVES COMEDIANS ONE LESS REASON
TO MAKE FUN OF HIM.
>> IF YOU LIVE IN ARIZONA, YOU
HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING
PUT BEHIND BARS THAN ALMOST
ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
THE WOMAN WHO WROTE ORANGE IS
THE NEW BLACK IS HEADING HERE
TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT.
>> BY.
>> BY.
>> BY. CHRONICLED HER YEAR IN ORANGE
IS THE NEW BLACK.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT.
NOW ARMED WITH THAT EXPERIENCE
SHE IS ON A CRUSADE.
SHE WILL BE AT ARIZONA THIS
CAPITAL TUESDAY FOR AN EVENT,
KICKING OFF A CAMPAIGN TO USE
SENTENCING LAWS.
SENTENCING LAWS. THE AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE
COMMITTEE IS LEADING THE
GATHERING.
GATHERING. CAROLINE JOINS US TO TELL US
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. WELCOME BACK TO SQUARE OFF.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> I WANT TO GIVE FOLKS SOME
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. ARIZONA PRISON INMATES ARE
GROWING THREE TIMES FASTER THAN
THE NUMBER OF ARIZONA RESIDENTS.
NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS ARE UP 80%.
THERE MORE NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS
THAN ALL VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
WE HAVE SEEN CONGRESS ACT ON
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
DOES THAT GIVE YOU MOMENTUM
GOING INTO THIS EVENT AND THE
SESSION?
SESSION?
SESSION? >> ACTUALLY THE MOMENTUM WAS
THERE TO BEGIN WITH.
REALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ARE FAR BEHIND THE CURVE OF
OTHER STATES WHO HAVE EMBRACED
SIGNIFICANT REFORMS.
SIGNIFICANT REFORMS. REALIZING THE SAME ISSUES THAT
WE ARE HERE IN ARIZONA.
THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT, THE COST
TO TAXPAYERS.
TO TAXPAYERS. >> WHY IS THIS NEEDED RIGHT NOW
AND WHAT WILL THESE PACKAGE OF
BILLS THAT ARE BEING INTRODUCED
DO ABOUT IT?
>> IT HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR SOME
TIME AS ALL THE NUMBERS
INDICATE, WE ARE THE OUTLIER ON
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. HAVING SUCH A HIGH INCARCERATE
IMPACTS FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE IN MANY WAYS.
IT IS NOT DOING THE THINGS THAT
WE HAD HOPED IT WOULD DO.
IT'S NOT MAKING US SAFER.
IT'S NOT REDUCING CRIME.
AND SO WE CAN LOOK TO WHAT
OTHER STATES HAVE DONE AND
THESE PRACTICES TO SAY WE KNOW
WHAT WORKS AND WE CAN DO BETTER
LATE TELL ME ABOUT ONE THING
YOU BELIEVE WORKS.
>> THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF
CRIME OR RELATED TO THE CRIMES
FOR WHICH PEOPLE ARE
INCARCERATED IS DRUG ABUSE AND
DRUG ADDICTION.
DRUG ADDICTION. TREATMENT WORKS BETTER THAN
PRISON.
PRISON.
PRISON. WHERE WE ARE PUTTING RESOURCES
AS A STATE IS IN WAREHOUSING
PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE NOT
GETTING THAT TREATMENT OR
ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF HELP.
WE ARE JUMPING TO THE PROBLEM.
>> I THINK GOVERNOR DUCEY AND
BILL MONTGOMERY WHO IS BEEN ON
THE LEADING EDGE OF OPPOSING
SENTENCING REFORM ARGUE MORE
ARE GETTING TREATED BEFORE THE
RELEASE.
RELEASE.
RELEASE. >> THAT'S CLEARLY A HUGE PEOPLE
NEED.
NEED.
NEED. ABOUT 2% OF PEOPLE IDENTIFIED
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS AS NEEDING
TREATMENT ARE ACTUALLY GETTING
IT AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS THE
MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE
WAY TO ADDRESS THIS IS BEFORE
PEOPLE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, THE BILLS THAT ARE
INTRODUCED THIS YEAR ARE MORE
TO DEAL WITH THE SYSTEM THAT WE
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. FOR
HAVE. FOR EXAMPLE, ADDRESSING THE
FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE SERVING
THESE DISPROPORTIONATELY LONG
SENTENCES IN ARIZONA.
WE HAVE THIS POINT OF
DIMINISHING RETURNS OF THAT.
>> AND WE HAVE A TRUTH IN
SENTENCING LAW HERE.
AFTER SERVE 85% OF THEIR TERM?
>> CORRECT.
>> CORRECT. EVERYBODY DOES.
EVERYBODY DOES. REGARDLESS OF THE CRIME OR HOW
YOU HAVE CONDUCTED YOURSELF
WHILE INCARCERATED.
WHILE INCARCERATED. >> BILL MONTGOMERY IS LIKELY
YOUR BIGGEST OPPONENT.
HE HAS SEVERAL FRIENDS THERE,
ALLIES WHO CAN STOP THIS AND
HAVE STOP THIS BEFORE.
HE SAYS WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS
A MYTH.
A MYTH.
A MYTH. IT IS ALL DRUG OFFENDERS.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
HE SAYS THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
THE NUMBER HE THROWS OUT,
NEARLY 95% OF ARIZONA'S INMATES
HAVE COMMITTED MULTIPLE FELONIES
OR A VIOLENT FELONY.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> 95%.
>> 95%.
>> 95%. >> THAT'S A CONFLATED NUMBER.
MULTIPLE FELONIES OR A VIOLENT
FELONY ARE TWO COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT GROUPINGS OF PEOPLE.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
ARE DEAD AS YOU SAID EARLIER,
THE NUMBER OF FOLKS GOING FOR
NONVIOLENT CRIMES IS GROWING.
AND BEYOND DUELING STATISTICS
AND NUMBERS, WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT PEOPLE.
ABOUT PEOPLE. THE FUNDAMENTAL THING HERE IS
DO WE AS A STATE, DO THE VOTERS
OF THE STATE, BELIEVE THAT
PEOPLE CAN AND DO CHANGE FOR
THE BETTER?
THE BETTER? THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE OTHER
CHOICES?
CHOICES?
CHOICES? AND IF WE BELIEVE THAT, IT IS
INCUMBENT ABOVE US TO PROVIDE
THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE DON'T
CURRENTLY HAVE THAT.
HAVE YOU EVER SPOKEN TO BILL
MONTGOMERY ABOUT THIS AND TRIED
TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH
HIM ON WHAT THINGS MIGHT WORK
WITH SENTENCING REFORM?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH EVERYBODY
THAT WILL TALK TO US IN THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE
VOTERS UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES
BETTER PROBABLY THAN ANYONE
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? PUBLIC OPINION SHOWS STRONGLY
THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A
HIGH INCARCERATION RATE, THE
MAJORITY OF YOUR VIEWERS
PROBABLY KNOWS SOMEONE WHO HAS
BEEN TOUCHED BY THE SYSTEM AND
UNDERSTANDS THE IMPACTS.
WE ARE TALKING WITH LEGISLATORS,
PROSECUTORS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS
AND FORTUNATELY I WOULD LIKE TO
BELIEVE IT IS MORE THAN ONE
PERSON WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS
AS TO WHAT IS IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF CONSTITUENTS IN
ARIZONA.
ARIZONA.
ARIZONA. >> THIS IS A BIPARTISAN EVENT
ON TUESDAY.
ON TUESDAY. WILL BE THERE?
>> WE HOPE EVERYBODY BUT THE
PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE EVENT IS
THOSE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED
BY THESE POLICIES.
FORMALLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE,
FAMILIES OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE.
THEY REALLY ARE THE ONES WHO
CAN PRESENT TO THE DECISION-
MAKERS WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF
THE CURRENT LAWS AND WHAT NEEDS
TO BE CHANGED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
CAROLINE ISAACS, THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
JOINING US. >> WHEN WE COME BACK, GOVERNOR
DOUG DUCEY 'S SPEECH WAS BILLED
ABOUT BEING ABOUT THINGS THAT
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. WHICH THINGS THAT MATTER DID HE
LEAVE OUT?
LEAVE OUT? >>> WHY COMEDIANS WON'T