Governor Signs Correctional Oversight Office into Law, But Leaves it Unfunded and Nonfunctional

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                          

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Governor Signs Correctional Oversight Office into Law,

But Leaves it Unfunded and Nonfunctional

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Governor Katie Hobbs is creating the illusion of oversight without real action by signing legislation Wednesday establishing Arizona's new Independent Correctional Oversight Office, yet she is refusing to allocate a single dollar to make the office operational.

SB 1507, sponsored by Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Efficiency Committee Chair Shawnna Bolick, aims to create oversight and accountability of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry system in the wake of recent inmate murders and other atrocities occurring in state prisons with a new Independent Correctional Oversight Office. SB 1507 is a major step towards reform; however, the office is now in name only. Despite widespread agreement on the need for oversight into Arizona's state prisons, the Governor rejected all of Senator Bolick's budget requests to fund it, leaving the office without staff, resources, or the ability to fulfill its purpose.  

"I’m glad to see Senator Bolick’s SB 1507 signed into law. This is a long-overdue step toward accountability in our corrections system," said Representative Walt Blackman. "But a law without funding is just a press release. If the governor truly supports oversight and reform, then she should have backed the resources needed to make this office work. Transparency can’t wait, and neither should the funding."

"Signing a bill and refusing to fund it is like buying a car and not putting anyone in the driver's seat," said Senator Bolick. "The Governor is selling the illusion of progress while withholding the tools the office needs to function. Hobbs can't claim credit for reform while actively preventing it from happening. If she believes in this office, she needs to fund it. I'm calling on her to identify immediate funding – whether from her own office, or through reallocation from another agency within her cabinet. This is the least she can do to ensure her signature actually means something. The office was intended to serve as a watchdog, monitoring Arizona's correctional system, increasing transparency, and restoring safety within our prison system. Without funding, the law is symbolic at best and misleading at worst."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov