By Dianne Post

For years Arizona has relied on mass incarceration as its primary criminal justice response. That reliance is ineffective, inefficient, inhumane and discriminatory. The NAACP opposes the continuance of mass incarceration and the building of prisons, especially private, for-profit prisons, as the lynchpin of Arizona’s criminal justice policy.  

The State has spent millions and wants to spend millions more for prisons.  In 2009 the legislature passed a law to build 5,000 more private, for-profit prison beds that would cost taxpayers $640 million by 2017 though the inmate population and crime is decreasing. The Department of Corrections (DOC) budget is $1 billion or 11% of the state’s total budget.  While other states are bringing their budgets down in this time of austerity, Arizona’s keeps going up.  

The increasing criminalization of our society by these policies means that one in one hundred persons is arrested; more teens are tried as adults, we incarcerate at a higher rate and more people than any country including China and Russia, and the majority of those inmates are Black and Brown.  The highest imprisonment rate is Black males.  Counting men over 18, for white’s the rate is one in 106 is arrested, for Hispanic one in 36, for Blacks one in 15, for Blacks ages 20-34, it is one in nine.  

The discrimination crosses gender lines as well.  For white women, the rate is one in 355, for Hispanic one in 297, and for Blacks it is one in 100.  The states with the most prison inmates, the highest rate of and the highest growth of private for-profit prisons is in the South and Arizona.

By Dianne Post

For years Arizona has relied on mass incarceration as its primary criminal justice response. That reliance is ineffective, inefficient, inhumane and discriminatory. The NAACP opposes the continuance of mass incarceration and the building of prisons, especially private, for-profit prisons, as the lynchpin of Arizona’s criminal justice policy.  

The State has spent millions and wants to spend millions more for prisons.  In 2009 the legislature passed a law to build 5,000 more private, for-profit prison beds that would cost taxpayers $640 million by 2017 though the inmate population and crime is decreasing. The Department of Corrections (DOC) budget is $1 billion or 11% of the state’s total budget.  While other states are bringing their budgets down in this time of austerity, Arizona’s keeps going up.  

The increasing criminalization of our society by these policies means that one in one hundred persons is arrested; more teens are tried as adults, we incarcerate at a higher rate and more people than any country including China and Russia, and the majority of those inmates are Black and Brown.  The highest imprisonment rate is Black males.  Counting men over 18, for white’s the rate is one in 106 is arrested, for Hispanic one in 36, for Blacks one in 15, for Blacks ages 20-34, it is one in nine.  

The discrimination crosses gender lines as well.  For white women, the rate is one in 355, for Hispanic one in 297, and for Blacks it is one in 100.  The states with the most prison inmates, the highest rate of and the highest growth of private for-profit prisons is in the South and Arizona.

By Laurence Watts - Huffington Post

You've heard the one about the closeted "tough-on-immigration" sheriff who was running for Congress and got outed by his Mexican ex-lover, right? If not, you should really get to grips with the story of Paul Babeu. A good place to start is the New Times exclusive that broke the story, alongside a picture of his Adam4Adam profile.

For the benefit of Paul and any other closeted, Republican law-enforcement officers out there contemplating a Congressional run, I would like to share with you eight rules he would do well to heed.

Rule 1: The Truth Will Get Out

Like, OMG, Paul! Everyone lies about their age on online dating sites, but if you're going to be a "public figure," you'll need to learn to lie consistently. Having an Adam4Adam account that says you're 37 and a Wikipedia entry that reveals you're actually 43 is a no-no. I know what you're thinking: the hot, young Mexicans you want to f*ck won't hit you up if they see you're on the wrong side of 40, but you're wrong! Some of them dig the wrinklies! Just be sure you don't cross them, though; young gays can get nasty if you burn them.

Rule 2: Tats Are Facts

Oh, Paul! I can see your dilemma. You've got a hot little body, and you know you'll get 10 times as many people viewing your profile if you include a shirtless pic. But you wouldn't want anyone to be able to identify you from your profile, would you? So what do you do? Well, you take a photo of your torso that doesn't show your face. Genius! Well, almost. See, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, Paul -- they might have mentioned something about it at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy where you graduated in the top of your class -- but tattoos are a key means of identification these days, and you have them on both your arms. Sadly, they're visible in the photo you took. The good news is they're nice. The bad news is you're screwed.

By Kristian Ramos - Huffington Post

Governor Brewer wants it both ways on the border. On one hand her administration has an office devoted to increasing commerce and tourism with Mexico, on the other she pushes legislation which would fund $1.4 million of tax payer money to create a militia to tour the southwest border, ultimately hurting commerce and tourism from our southern neighbor. She can't have it both ways.

In a speech from 2009 Gov. Brewer noted: "Our exports to Mexico from Arizona reached nearly $6 billion in 2008, with total bilateral trade through our ports of entry in excess of $20 billion. And we must not forget our visitors from Mexico that come and spend money in our malls, hotels and restaurants, generating over $2.6 billion in sales in Arizona. That's an increase of more than 200% since 2001, a remarkable level of growth that indicates just how important Mexican visitors are to the Arizona economy."

Since Governor Brewer has been in office the number of tourists coming into Arizona from Mexico has declined hurting the states economy. The numbers cited above have actually come down from where they were in 2007 -2008, when Mexican visitors to Arizona supported over 30,000 jobs in the state with total sales of $3.61 billion giving the state a much needed economic boost which are surely missing today as Arizona is facing unparalleled economic woes.

By Bob Christie - Huffington Post  

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu built a reputation as a rising, conservative star by taking a hardline stance against illegal immigration, attacking the Obama administration and appearing alongside Sen. John McCain in a 2010 re-election ad in which McCain urged federal officials to just "complete the danged fence."

But, on Saturday, Babeu's conservative image took a beating as he was forced to confirm publicly that he is gay and was involved in a relationship with a Mexican immigrant who claims the sheriff threatened to have him deported if he revealed their relationship.

Babeu denies any wrongdoing, and has vowed to continue his battle for the GOP nomination in an extremely conservative rural congressional district. He recognizes he is fighting an uphill battle, especially in a state where family values, as defined by a large evangelical Christian and Mormon population, often battle fierce, anti-immigrant beliefs to define conservatism.

At a lengthy press conference, Babeu said he hopes voters will stick with him.