Bill > SB1507

This bill establishes an Independent Correctional Oversight Office to monitor and provide oversight of Arizona's state correctional facilities. The office will be led by a director appointed by the governor for a five-year term, with specific qualifications and restrictions to ensure independence. The oversight office will have broad powers, including conducting facility inspections at least every two years, creating a complaint hotline and online reporting system for inmates and staff, and monitoring the conditions of confinement and the department's compliance with state and federal rules. The office is required to submit a comprehensive annual report to legislative leaders by December 31st, detailing various aspects of the correctional system such as inmate deaths, medical treatments, staffing, facility conditions, and the department's compliance with rehabilitation and release programs. The bill removes a previous reporting requirement from the Department of Corrections director and creates a new dedicated fund for the oversight office, which can accept legislative appropriations, federal money, and private grants. The office is designed to be neutral, impartial, and focused on improving inmate health, safety, welfare, and rehabilitation, with the ability to investigate complaints and make recommendations to the department and state leadership.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82938