Under Senate Bill 1197, sponsored by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, and backed by Stand for Children Arizona, the courts would no longer be able to require juveniles or their parents or guardians to pay costs of probation, legal services, administrative fees, foster care, counseling, treatment, education programs, and any health care, food, clothing, shelter, or supervision while a child is incarcerated by the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.  

Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections Director Jeff Hood stumbled into working with kids at a formative time in his own life.

A war of accusations has erupted between Maricopa County Treasurer Charles “Hos” Hoskins and Rep. Justin Olson over funding for a property tax credit for low-income, elderly homeowners.

Convicted Arizona juvenile offenders would be eligible to be turned over to federal immigration enforcement under legislation approved Jan. 19 by a Senate panel.

Less than a year after the agency was nearly abolished, the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections stepped away from the abyss after a legislative committee recommended that it be continued for five years.

The much-maligned Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections, slated for the chopping block early in the budget process this year, won a stay of execution. But not everyone is happy about the apparent reprieve, especially county officials who face the prospect of assuming the financial responsibility of housing and rehabilitating the state's juvenile inmates.

Republican leaders and Gov. Jan Brewer have struck a deal that will allow the Department of Juvenile Corrections to remain in place for the next year instead of shuttering the agency and shifting responsibility to counties.

The Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections would close in March 2011 under the Legislature's plan to shift the cost of incarcerating juveniles to counties.

Details of the Republican budget plan given to majority party lawmakers this week show they and Gov. Jan Brewer aim to close a nearly $2.7 billion budget gap with more than $1.1 billion in cuts and wholesale elimination of a number of state programs.

Local government is usually the last place the Legislature looks to find extra money, but the state budget deficit has forced lawmakers to take desperate steps. This year and last, cities and counties have been forced to pay bills that historically have been the state's responsibility. During the past year, lawmakers have taken money that was intended to pay for local services, limited cities' ability to collect fees, and hoisted new burdens onto the shoulders of city officials who are trying to overcome the same economic conditions that ravaged two consecutive state budgets.