Budget Crisis Continues

July 20, 2010

In recent developments regarding the state of Arizona's and ADOC's budget crisis, I've heard through the Correctional Officers that the Lewis complex nurses have been striking as ADOC is handing out furloughs to them. This is shifting medical care costs when units here are being forced to call 911 for emergency responders to respond when ADOC nursing staff refuse.

I've further heard that ADOC security staff, programs staff and administrative staff are also being forced to take similar unpaid furloughs, as well as are expecting IOU's soon on payday. It's no wonder ADOC is losing staff...they're quitting for jobs that pay.

Apparently, our state continues to flounder and sink deeper into the quagmire known as a budget deficit, which has no real fix being seriously considered. Case in point: ADOC is releasing vital staff instead of non-violent, able-bodied prisoners who pose little to no risk to the public.

It's time to change Arizona's archaic sentencing guidelines, which are not an effective deterrent, are detrimental to the state's budget and simply cause the warehousing of human beings.