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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
Arizona criminal justice commission; membership.
Purpose
Adds four appointed members to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) and outlines required professional disciplines of the new members.
Background
Statute requires the ACJC to: 1) monitor
progress and implementation of new and continuing criminal justice legislation;
2) facilitate research among criminal justice agencies and maintain criminal
justice system information; 3) facilitate coordinated statewide efforts to
improve criminal justice information and data sharing; 4) prepare a biennial
criminal justice system review report for the Governor; 5) provide supplemental
reports on criminal justice issues of special timeliness; 6) in coordination
with other governmental agencies, gather and disseminate information on
programs designed to effectuate community crime prevention and education using
citizen participation and on programs for alcohol and drug abuse prevention,
education and treatment; 7) make recommendations to the Legislature and the
Governor regarding the purposes and formula for allocation of fund monies
through the biennial agency budget request; 8) adopt rules for the purpose of
allocating fund monies; 9) make reports to the Governor and the Legislature as
required; 10) oversee the research, analyses, studies, reports and publications
of crime and criminal justice statistics prepared by the Arizona Statistical
Analysis Center;
11) prepare an annual report on law enforcement activities in Arizona that are
funded by the Drug and Gang Enforcement Fund and that relate to illicit drugs
and drug-related gang activity;
12) compile and disseminate information on best practices for cold case
investigations; and
13) submit an annual recidivism report to the Legislature that compares the
recidivism rate for a person who serves a term of mandatory incarceration in a
county jail and a person who serves that term of mandatory incarceration in
prison (A.R.S.
§ 41-2405).
The
ACJC consists of the following persons or their designees: 1) the Attorney
General; 2) the Director of the Department of Public Safety; 3) the Director of
the Arizona Department of Corrections; 4) 14 members appointed by the Governor,
no more than 7 of whom may be of the same political party; 5) the
Administrative Director of the courts; and 6) the Chairperson of the Board of
Executive Clemency. Members appointed by the Governor must include at least: 1)
one police chief, one county attorney and one county sheriff from counties with
a population of 1,500,000 or more persons; 2) one police chief, one county
attorney and one county sheriff from counties with a population equal to or
greater than 800,000 persons but fewer than 1,500,000 persons; 3) at least one
police chief, one county attorney and one county sheriff from counties with a
population of fewer than 800,000 persons; 4)
one law enforcement leader; 5) one former judge;
6) one mayor; 7) one member of a county board of supervisors; and 8) one chief
probation officer (A.R.S. § 41-2404).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Adds four appointed members to the ACJC, which must include:
a) one person who leads an indigent defense agency;
b) one person who leads a private nonprofit juvenile justice organization;
c) one licensed psychiatrist or psychologist who has experience working in the criminal justice system; and
d) one victim advocate.
2. Increases, from seven to nine, the number of members of the ACJC that may be from the same political party.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
CJR 1/27/21 DP 9-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/4/21 59-0-0-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 2, 2021
JA/RC/kja