"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons."
— Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Praxis began thinking about independent prison oversight before it was politically popular. The effort intensified after serious prison security failures and years of documented problems inside Arizona prisons. Praxis helped build the public, legislative, and coalition foundation for Arizona's first independent correctional oversight body.
The Problem
Prisons are closed institutions.
Families often cannot get reliable answers.
Staff can face unsafe working conditions.
Incarcerated people have limited access to meaningful complaint systems.
Lawmakers often receive incomplete or filtered information.
Litigation is slow, expensive, and reactive.
Oversight provides earlier detection and public accountability.
The Solution
An Independent Correctional Oversight Office should:
Receive and investigate complaints
Inspect facilities
Issue public reports
Identify systemic risks
Monitor deaths, medical failures, use of force, restrictive housing, staffing, and grievance patterns
Provide lawmakers and the public with independent information
Protect against retaliation
Operate outside ADCRR control
Why Funding Matters
Creating an office on paper is not enough. Without funding, staffing, authority, reporting infrastructure, and public access, oversight becomes symbolic. Praxis is working to ensure Arizona funds and implements a real office, not a hollow title.
The Cost of Oversight vs. The Cost of Ignorance
$1.5M
to establish and operate the Office of Correctional Oversight in its first year
$1.8B
Arizona spends approximately this annually on corrections
$1 : $1,200
For every $1,200 spent on the corrections status quo, $1 would support independent oversight
Tell Arizona Leaders: Fund Independent Prison Oversight
Independent oversight is a small investment compared to the cost of unchecked failure. Join us in demanding real accountability.