Who we are
The punishment system is not broken – it works exactly as intended.
A criminal punishment system reinforces the false idea that there are good guys and bad guys, and the more we punish the bad guys, the safer we are.
Instead, we are diagnosing the underlying causes of injustice and instability, so we can create an antidote and imagine a new approach to community that serves the healing process, not the retribution process.
At Just Communities Arizona, we are creating new models for justice and safety, outside of Arizona’s punishment system. Together, we’re working toward a system that provides peace, community, and safety for everyone.
How are we accomplishing this?
We work alongside people with convictions, formerly incarcerated people, and our shared communities to:
Such a high rate of incarceration means most of us have someone in our lives who’s been caught up in the criminal punishment system.
These are our sons, daughters, cousins, aunts, neighbors, and friends. They are loved ones who might have drug or alcohol addictions, struggle with mental illness, or kids who fell in with the wrong crowd.
And they didn’t get the help they needed when they needed it most, because Arizona invests more in enforcement and incarceration than in programs and services that address the root causes of crime.
