On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed the bipartisan First Step Act into law, marking a significant step forward in federal sentencing reform. Just weeks later, we took our first oaths of office in January 2019. That milestone marked the beginning of our shared efforts to advance meaningful criminal justice reform in Arizona. In early 2020, we met with Matthew Charles, a man who served over two decades in federal prison without a single disciplinary infraction. His success after release reaffirmed our belief in redemption and fueled our resolve to bring reform home.

During our first year, we were honored to be named “Rookies of the Year” by the Republican Party of Arizona. That summer, we submitted a letter to House leadership and Speaker Rusty Bowers, requesting approval to host a bipartisan Earned Release Credits for Prisoners House Ad Hoc Committee. We held public hearings, reviewed policy gaps, and took a critical tour of the Florence prison complex with then-Director Charles Ryan. The director’s resignation was inevitable, considering reports of serious safety issues in the prisons. Just hours after that visit, he submitted his resignation notice, having served as the ADC Director for ten years. The ad hoc committee released its final report later that year.

Later that fall, we visited the Lewis complex in Buckeye and observed widespread security lapses, broken cell locks and compromised safety. These firsthand encounters laid the groundwork for the creation of the House Committee on Criminal Justice Reform in January 2020, where we continued our work as Chair and Vice Chair. The committee remained active into the 2021–2022 legislative session, continuing to examine sentencing policies, reentry coordination and prison oversight.

When COVID hit, our efforts didn’t stop. In 2020 and 2021, we held remote oversight discussions, including briefings with then-Director David Shinn. From 2021 to 2022, Senator Bolick served on the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, weighing critical funding for health care services and ADC settlements. A pivotal moment came in the fall of 2021, when the Arizona Auditor General released a report detailing the Department of Corrections’ failure to meet performance benchmarks, delayed releases of eligible inmates and a general disregard for prior audit recommendations.

In June 2022, Senator Bolick blocked passage of the ADC budget until those reforms were addressed. In December 2022, just before leaving the House, we toured Lewis again and issued a joint press release after meeting with inmates who raised security concerns, including allegations of sexual violence.

In January 2023, as Senator Bolick transitioned to the upper chamber and toured juvenile corrections alongside Representative Blackman, Governor Katie Hobbs signed Executive Order 6, establishing the Independent Prison Oversight Commission. The commission was designed to strengthen transparency and accountability within Arizona’s corrections system. Tasked with inspecting prison facilities, reviewing records, and speaking directly with inmates and staff about health care, safety, educational programming, and access to necessities. The commission — despite its initial lack of funding — marked a critical step toward institutionalizing meaningful oversight. The commission released its report in November 2023.

Throughout this period, we visited private prisons and attended reentry graduation ceremonies, where we met Arizonans trying to turn their lives around. We received hundreds of letters from families of inmates, corrections officers and community advocates calling for stronger oversight, improved mental health care and meaningful rehabilitative programs.

In May 2025, we sent a letter to legislative leadership urging the formation of a bipartisan ad hoc committee to investigate persistent security failures. In the years since, we’ve met with whistleblowers, reviewed internal ADCRR reports, and pushed for public testimony from leadership, staff and impacted families. All these efforts culminated in the 2025 passage of Senate Bill 1507, creating a permanent oversight office. 

However, passing SB 1507 is only the beginning. The oversight office must be funded — estimated at $1.5 million annually. We can’t go back and change the outcomes for those who have already lost their lives in state custody, but we can act now to prevent future tragedies. Recent deaths in the Arizona Department of Corrections include Indalecio Garcia, 31, who died at the Lewis complex on June 23; Ernest Walker, 60, who died June 28, 2025, at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center; Danny Jones, 60, who died June 24, 2025, at ASPC-Tucson; and Daniel Montoya, who died while incarcerated at Lewis Prison. Others — Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley — were killed behind bars. These are not isolated cases. 

With proper funding, SB 1507 can provide the real oversight and accountability needed to prevent future tragedies.

Shawnna LM Bolick is the State Senator for LD2, and the chair of the Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency.

Walt Blackman is the State Representative for LD7, and the chair of the House Committee on Government.