The holiday season casts a particular spotlight on the lives of children with incarcerated parents, and in Arizona, steps are being taken to ensure that these children are not forgotten. ABC15 reports that the Angel Tree Christmas program, assisted by organizations like 180 PSM and Prison Fellowship, is reaching out to the children of the approximate 35,000 offenders supervised by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
However, amid the narratives of positive community outreach, there are underlying issues within the Arizona Department of Corrections itself. According to a compliance review released by the Arizona Department of Corrections, an annual audit has revealed that, of 80 inmates reviewed for earned release time frames, 79 were released as expected, but the Department failed to transition 14 inmates to a pre-release program 3 months early, as stipulated by the process. This procedural oversight, however, fails in comparison to the failure to notify victims of early inmate release, hindering their right to raise objections.
The compliance review also found that between 22 and 44 percent of inmates enrolled in self-improvement, education, and treatment programs did not complete them. Officials said the incomplete participation could affect rehabilitation efforts by limiting inmates’ access to the full benefits of the programs, raising concerns about the effectiveness of rehabilitation and reentry initiatives.
