To help shift the narrative locally about violence, AFSC-Arizona, in collaboration with Common Justice, hosted a screening and conversation on harm, accountability, and safety on May 17. The screening included a collection of short videos with directly impacted people—Ever After: Stories of Violence, Accountability, and Healing—that provided a […]
A few months ago, a journalist and old college friend of mine asked if he could interview me for a profile in the monthly lifestyle magazine, PHOENIX. I was reluctant, at first, dreading the idea of rehashing the criminal behavior that sent me to prison more than 11 […]
Reporters from local and national media often reach out to AFSC-Arizona for comments on trends and legislation related to our criminal punishment system. But they also ask us to connect them with people who are formerly incarcerated or system-involved. We’re always willing to help, so long as journalists […]
Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey, like many politicians, is a big proponent of running government “like a business.” This resonates with many voters, who mistakenly think that the cutthroat winners-and-losers paradigm of the free market somehow benefits them (as they work three part-time jobs with no healthcare and send […]
It’s been almost two months since Elaine Herzberg died. I didn’t know her, but I think about her often. Elaine was struck and killed by an autonomous Uber near Tempe Town Lake in March. According to her Facebook page, she graduated from Apache Junction High School and lived […]
Just when I was set to criticize Kim Kardashian West for wasting her celebrity clout on the low-hanging fruit of criminal justice reform–seeking a pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, a 62-year-old grandma locked up for life in Alabama on a nonviolent drug charge–I learned that KKW is also advocating […]
APAAC Stands in the Way of Real Sentencing Reform in Arizona Media Contact: Joe Watson Cell: 602.383.4155 Phoenix, Arizona — March 21, 2018 — The Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC) released the newest version of their fatally-flawed Prisoners in Arizona report on Monday, the same week that […]