Arizona is making headlines for its draconian budget cuts. State per-pupil spending is among the lowest in the nation. Arizona is the only state to toss poor people off of welfare assistance after just 12 months. College students are facing rising tuition costs and years of debt.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Corrections is moving ahead with a plan to build up to 2,000 more private prison beds. The cost of this expansion is estimated around $50 million in just the first year or two.

But we have a choice—A choice our state leaders have not yet been courageous enough to make. We can choose to invest in education, not incarceration. In community, not cages. In common-sense, prevention and treatment services instead of costly punishment.

We need you to help us amplify that message. Tell the Governor and Dept of Corrections what YOU would spend $50 million on in Arizona.

A statewide coalition of groups is working together to send a message that the plan to expand our prison system is out of step with what most Arizonans want. AFSC is joined by Protecting Arizona’s Families Coalition (PAFCO), the YWCA of Southern Arizona, the NAACP of Maricopa County, Arizona Justice Alliance, and other groups in taking this campaign out into cyberspace!

TODAY, Tuesday June 16, we are asking everyone to do the following:

1. Sign the RFP2015petition
2. Change your cover picture on Facebook to send a message about YOUR priorities. You can download them here or on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AFSCArizona
3. Tweet your sign, and messages to the Governor (@DougDucey) using the hashtag, #50million4AZ. Please consider also including us in your tweet: @afscaz.