If you’re ordered to pay restitution by a judge in a criminal case, you can expect that you will have to pay it, particularly if you were sentenced in Maricopa County. That county was recently recognized as one of the top five in the country on collecting money owed to victims. According to the Arizona Republic, the county collected about $500,000 in delinquent payments from 266 defendants since 2008. [read more...]

All across the country, lawmakers are crossing the aisle, coming together to reform the criminal justice system and simultaneously save money. With budgets stretched thin and corrections soaking up a lot of what is there, lawmakers are looking to cut prison populations while keeping the public safe and some who would’ve opted for more “tough on crime” legislation years ago are moving in the other direction in order to reduce spending. [read more...]

Next month the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison program will be launched in Pima County, according to the Pima County Attorney a $1.1 million federal grant will fund the new program aimed at providing incarceration alternatives to people with drug problems. [read more...]