Be very careful when you're shopping in Arizona. If you accidentally walk out of a store without paying for something, you may face a criminal charge of shoplifting that can get you a three-year jail sentence.

Sentencing for criminal charges in Arizona can be long and harsh. You can get 25 years in prison for selling a single marijuana cigarette. Once you're incarcerated, don't expect to get time off for good behavior. Arizona's so-called "truth in sentencing" laws don't let parole boards award early release in many cases. Many felons must serve 100 percent of their sentences; other offenders must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before being considered for release to community supervision.

According to the Arizona Republic, the state spends $1 billion on prisons, and it plans to build even more penal institutions in the next five years. One in every 159 citizens of the state is incarcerated -- in 1980 only one in every 749 residents was behind bars. Why the increase? Experts disagree about the cause. Some say that lawmakers have gotten tougher on crime in the last few decades, with politicians promising to get even tougher.

In any event, research suggests that Arizona's high incarceration rate has not reduced the state's crime rate. On the contrary, Arizona's Criminal Justice Commission will soon release a report that shows the number of murders and rapes in the state increased last year, while national rates decreased.

Other states are reducing their prison populations and their crime rates at the same time. New York, New Jersey and Mississippi have saved money by giving judges more discretion in sentencing defendants facing a criminal charge and by expanding the variety of punishments such as house arrest and electronic monitoring.

Until these alternate sentencing trends reach Arizona, citizens are advised to keep a criminal lawyer on speed dial.

Source

Arizona Republic: "Arizona prison sentences among toughest for many crimes," Bob Ortega, Oct. 9, 2011