To the Prescott Indivisible Community:
On July 28 you were asked to contact the AZ Corporation Commission and email your support for the amendments to the renewal energy and energy efficiency standards presented by Commissioners Kennedy and Burns. Thank you for your efforts. Unfortunately, the amendments were blocked by the other three commissioners. Remember this in November, when you will have the opportunity to vote for Bill Mundell, Shea Stanfield and Anna Tovar.
We have another opportunity to make our opinions known about the proposed Yavapai County Jail. Show up for the
Rally Against the Jail
Monday, Aug. 3, from 8-11 am
Yavapai County Office Building, 1015 Fair St., Prescott
The Board of Supervisors will be meeting at this time. We must show up and let them know we don’t want the proposed jail.
Bring a sign that tells them NO MEANS NO!
We can’t attend the meeting inside (Covid) so we will meet in the parking lot. This will be a “Stand Together” or “Cruise in your Car” Rally. Wear your masks.
The reasons why we must show up and take this action:
The new jail will be a financial hardship for taxpayers during the Pandemic
- 18% property tax increase per year during a pandemic when people are out of work could cause great hardship.
- $68 million jail, justice center and mental health outpatient facility will cost $30 million more than the original proposal for a jail only.
- Economists say the financial situation will get much worse in the next few months, leading to foreclosures and homelessness.
The County needs to fully implement consultant recommendations on reducing incarceration
- Psychiatric and drug rehab services and support have already reduced the jail population.
- Recidivism is down 85%.
- The Camp Verde jail has 644 beds and the new jail plan is for 600 beds.
The lack of transparency by the Board of Supervisors is a major concern.
- There’s no evidence that the jail is necessary.
- Board members cite a past court order involving severe overcrowding before the Camp Verde Detention Center was built.
- The Camp Verde jail is not overcrowded, according to recent statistics.
- The Board has agreed to rent beds to state prisons in the past and may do so again.
COVID-19 means fewer people should be incarcerated, not more.
- Prisoners and employees are dying from the virus.
- Federal prisons are releasing inmates early.
- Those who can’t afford bail for petty crimes should be released on their own recognizance.
Voters turned down the jail twice; the board decided to build anyway
- The “jail district board” is the same as the county board of supervisors.
- A lack of honesty to the public about the size of the jail—144 beds was cited for years, not 600—makes it hard to trust the board’s motives.
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Next Prescott Indivisible General Meeting – Thurs. Aug.6, 6-7:30p