PHOENIX, AZ – Today, Senate Bill 1064, legislation that expands earned release credits for people convicted of nonviolent offenses, passed out of the House Rules Committee.

FWD.us Director of Advocacy and Campaigns for Criminal Justice Reform Elissa Johnson issued the following statement today after the Arizona House Rules Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 1064:

“The advancement of SB 1064 should make us all feel even more hopeful that Arizona can begin to address the incarceration crisis it finds itself in – a crisis that is fed by an exorbitant amount of taxpayer dollars and extremely long sentences that do not keep us safe and have shattered thousands of families and many communities. This critical legislation will help safely reduce the state’s sky-high prison population, and free up hundreds of millions of dollars for investment in communities and families.

“Long sentences do not make Arizonans safer. Arizona has some of the longest prison terms in the nation. With this bill, Arizona would join Texas, Utah, and more than 30 other states that have enacted criminal justice reforms that reduce imprisonment and crime rates at the same time.

“Arizona lawmakers must reform the state’s extremely long and costly prison terms. This legislation represents the best chance in a generation to do just that. We urge all House members to vote YES on SB 1064.”