I am a third generation Arizona, father of two sons, musician and paralegal. I am the executive director of a statewide non-profit organization. I was also imprisoned before.
During the 15 years I spent in prison in Arizona, I spent every day talking to fellow inmates about their cases and looking at their case papers. I have spoken to hundreds of men who have been convicted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. So many stories are the same: Maricopa County prosecutors are trying to maximize what they consider “wins,” under the law and some outside the law, all they have. took advantage. Providing rehabilitation and support can prepare them for a healthier and more productive life later without considering the cost to taxpayers, families and victims.
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In my case, I was sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison based on two sets of convictions for nonviolent crimes. I was imprisoned for a total of 15 years, he from February 2003 to January 2005 and he from October 2005 to August 2018. My longest sentence was 14 years, 1 count of aggravated identity theft, and a class 3 felony. I signed a plea bargain claiming I had a felony conviction. In this plea bargain, I was forced to agree to his nine-plus-year “strengthened” sentence.
However, this was not enough for MCAO. Even though I agreed to an enhanced sentence, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence me to 14 years maximum. In fact, I would have faced up to 25 years in prison for non-violent crimes had I not entered into a plea bargain, which demonstrates the role of coercion in the plea bargaining process under the MCAO.
why? From 2005 to the present, the outdated and unproductive mindset of MCAO is that no matter how much it costs taxpayers and how little need for large-scale security and justice, people in prison are more likely to be incarcerated. Because they say the more the better.
What benefit did the citizens of Maricopa County benefit from my paying to be held in prison for twice as long as the public agreed was a proper sentence for the crimes I committed? did you bring?
There was no benefit to public safety. It just cost taxpayers a lot of money. Instead of holding me accountable properly and ensuring that I receive the treatment and skills necessary to sober up and reintegrate into society as a productive member, my case, and myself as a human being, are being held accountable by the prosecutor. was used to fill the “win” column of agency.
Arizona taxpayers averaged $21,000 to $40,000 per year in claims and put me in a broken prison system in exchange for a reasonable sentence and return to the workforce. More than 50% recidivism rate Substance abuse treatment reaches only about 2% of inmates despite ADCRR Stated clearly that 84.3% of inmates assessed at the time of ingestion had a significant substance abuse history.
Maricopa County attorneys enjoy unparalleled authority and discretion. That’s why we need Maricopa County attorneys focused on protecting vulnerable people, holding lawbreakers to their proper account, and using our offices to create a fairer, safer society. Instead, for the last 40 years, what we’ve had has been a string of Maricopa County attorneys who failed to protect the underdog. Indicting Marginalized Segments of Our Society Inflate our prison system, Systematically failing on almost every metric — Including public safety.
It’s time to elect county attorneys who use evidence-based best practices to make justice accessible to everyone, not just part of the community. Someone who sets policies that maximize public safety while ensuring the system achieves justice, rather than mere nepotism, oppression and racism.someone who is unwilling to continue the office’s practice of oversentencing non-violent criminals (unless they are her friends) and ignores Thousands of Sexual Assault Victimsand Illegally Invent False Indictments to Imprison Peaceful ProtestersIt’s time to pick someone with new ideas instead of someone who has spent decades as a member of the MCAO’s corrupt inner circle.
