The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) announced the formation of a new Director's Advisory Committee, detailed in a release from the department. The committee, which will provide feedback and recommendations to ADCRR Director David Shinn, represents the Department's push for enhanced transparency and evidences its commitment to incorporating community insight into its correctional efforts.
Members selected for this committee will reflect a diverse blend of professionals and individuals with lived experience, particularly in areas ADCRR aims to focus on, such as education, reentry, and behavioral health services. "ADCRR recognizes that numerous professionals, such as community stakeholders and individuals with lived experience, have knowledge and expertise in topic areas that impact ADCRR," Director Thornell said in the statement made by ADCRR. These valued members will lend their perspectives which, through a correctional lens, will nurture valuable ideas and accountability to bolster ADCRR's reimagination of corrections.
With a broad array of priority sectors, including education and substance use disorder prevention to vocational training and tribal relations, Director Thornell will consider stakeholders from across Arizona for the nine available spots on the committee. Appointments to the committee will be determined in early 2025, according to the ADCRR's announcement, and chosen through a formal application process. Members are envisaged to serve a two-year term with an option for renewal, designed to ensure continuity and progressive development in recommended strategies and programs.
The application process has been detailed on the ADCRR's website, which outlines the steps necessary for individuals who wish to contribute to bringing about tangible change in the correctional landscape of Arizona.
