Governor: wants county to pay prison costs

Arizona Capitol Reports Staff//December 1, 2006//[read_meter]

Governor Napolitano said on Nov. 29 that Maricopa County should pick up the tab for extra prison costs expected from a criminal sentencing crackdown planned by the county’s top prosecutor.
Ms. Napolitano’s reaction came one day after County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced he wants to take repeat offenders off the streets by only agreeing to plea deals that require prison time for offenders who commit all but the most minor felonies and who have a previous felony record.
Mr. Thomas said that would send an additional 2,600 offenders into the state prison system a year, and the Corrections Department, which criticized Mr. Thomas’s move, estimates the price tag at $50 million.
Ms. Napolitano also said it’s not fair for taxpayers statewide to pay for the costs of one county implementing such a costly policy change.
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