Just Communities Arizona

WE ARE CREATING NEW MODELS FOR JUSTICE AND SAFETY OUTSIDE OF ARIZONA'S PUNISHMENT SYSTEM.

OUR 2022 VIRTUAL REFRAMING JUSTICE DAY EVENT RAISED AWARENESS ABOUT THE UNFAIR IMPACT OF ARIZONA'S "FELONY MURDER STATUTE." THE EVENT FEATURED THE REAL STORIES OF FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THIS LAW: TYWANIA SPOKE ABOUT HER TWO BROTHERS, BOTH SERVING LIFE SENTENCES FOR A MURDER THEY DID NOT COMMIT. TWO MOTHERS TOLD THE STORY OF HOW THEY FOUNDED AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO REPEALING THIS UNJUST LAW AFTER THEIR DAUGHTERS WERE BOTH CONVICTED OF FELONY MURDER. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN RECRUITING THE ACADEMY FOR JUSTICE AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY COMMITTEE ON THE LAW, WITH THE SUPPORT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN KAVANAGH. WE CONTINUED THE WINTER TRADITION WE STARTED AS AFSC-ARIZONA BY HOLDING A PARTY TO ADDRESS HOLIDAY CARDS TO INCARCERATED PEOPLE. THIS YEAR, BY PARTNERING WITH CO-SPONSORS LIKE THE START PROJECT, SOUTHERN ARIZONA LEGAL AID, AND DEATH PENALTY ALTERNATIVES FOR ARIZONA, WE MORE THAN DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED HOLIDAY CARDS THIS YEAR.

JCA RECRUITED 5 COMMUNITY EXPUNGEMENT ADVOCATES TO CONDUCT OUTREACH ON THE AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC RECORD EXPUNGEMENT FOR PAST CONVICTIONS FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION. DURING THE YEAR, THEY REACHED A TOTAL OF 3,678 CONTACTS THROUGH VIRTUAL TRAININGS OVER ZOOM FOR DRUG TREATMENT AND BEHAVIORAL SERVICE PROVIDERS (12 OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR); IN-PERSON PRESENTATIONS (55) AT CHURCHES, RECOVERY EVENTS, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA; AND FLYERING AT PUBLIC EVENTS, DISPENSARIES, PUBLIC TRANSIT CENTERS, THE COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, SWAP MEET, AND OTHER GATHERING PLACES. INFORMATION ON EXPUNGEMENT WAS PROVIDED AT EACH INTAKE SESSION AT THE PIMA COUNTY REENTRY CENTER DURING THE YEAR. INFORMATION ON EXPUNGEMENT WAS ALSO MAILED TO OVER 2,500 CURRENTLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, WHO ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT.

IN 2022, JUST COMMUNITIES ARIZONA COMPLETED AN AMBITIOUS RESEARCH PROJECT IN WHICH WE SURVEYED OVER 1,200 TUCSONANS ON THEIR PERCEPTION OF KEY ISSUES IMPACTING SAFETY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THROUGH SUPPORT FROM MICROSOFT, THE URBAN INSTITUTE, AND THE CITY OF TUCSON, WE EMPLOYED A TEAM OF COMMUNITY CO-RESEARCHERS TO REACH OUT TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND SOLICIT THEIR INPUT, COLLECTING RESPONSES FROM EACH OF TUCSON'S WARDS. THE DATA IS NOW PUBLICLY AVAILABLE VIA AN INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD HOSTED ON OUR WEBPAGE THAT ALLOWS USERS TO FILTER THE DATA BY DEMOGRAPHICS, GEOGRAPHIC AREA, SUBJECT, AND MANY OTHER VARIABLES.