Hobbs Rejects Transparency, Accountability of Arizona's Prison System Following Inmate Murders at Tucson Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                             Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Hobbs Rejects Transparency, Accountability of Arizona's Prison System

Following Inmate Murders at Tucson Facility

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Governor Katie Hobbs is working to dismantle bipartisan legislation aiming to create oversight, accountability, and transparency of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry system in the wake of recent inmate murders and other atrocities occurring in state prisons.

SB 1507, sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick, establishes the Independent Correctional Oversight Office. The office will be responsible for monitoring the conditions of confinement and assess compliance of ADCRR with all applicable federal and state rules, policies and best practices relating to inmate health, safety, welfare, and rehabilitation.

"In light of the April 2025 murders of three inmates at the Arizona State Prison Complex- Tucson, more people in the community are paying close attention to the progress of this bill," said Senator Bolick. "Sadly, the governor has decided she is no longer interested in transparency or accountability of one of our biggest state agencies. During budget negotiations over the past few weeks, the governor's staff has advocated for the removal of provisions critical to the mission of this legislation. As the bill stands, it has near unanimous bipartisan support. It includes a $1.5 million appropriation. This investment now will not only help save our state money in the future, but it will help increase the safety of our correctional officers and staff, the inmates housed in our prisons, and our communities at large.

"In January 2023, the governor, via an executive order, created a prison oversight commission due to 'an urgent need to provide transparency and accountability of Arizona's corrections system.'  The executive order stated it was time to 'safeguard the integrity of Arizona's correctional system, preventing misconduct, and identifying responsible ways to reduce costs that will benefit all Arizonans. Corrections administrators and officers perform a service to the people of Arizona and should feel safe in their workplace.' Despite Hobbs' lip service during her 2022 campaign, there have been 10 deaths in our prisons this year alone. Mark my word, the three murders that took place in Tucson will not be the last major incident under this governor's watch. While I appreciate Senator Payne's efforts to get to the bottom of this security crisis unfolding in our prisons through his investigations of public records, we have a concrete policy solution right before us with overwhelming bipartisan support."

"As a former Commissioner of the Independent Prison Oversight Commission, I am deeply disappointed this critical legislation is meeting resistance," said Senator Analise Ortiz. "One of our key recommendations in our 2023 report to the Governor was to establish a permanent oversight mechanism with proper funding. For years, families of incarcerated people, corrections officers, and advocates have sounded the alarm about the desperate need for transparency and accountability from ADCRR. The overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill proves this is not about politics: it’s about saving lives, protecting everyone inside prisons, and respecting taxpayers who’ve footed the bill for unchecked abuses in ADCRR for too long."

###

For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov