Across Arizona, criminal justice professionals work to make a difference in the
quality of life for citizens. This includes apprehending and prosecuting dangerous
criminals; working with crime victims to obtain assistance and justice; helping
inmates kick substance abuse habits and many other tasks. The results of these
efforts often go unnoticed outside the criminal justice community.
The documents on this page will highlight some of the success stories of those who
have made a difference, including the task forces that remove drugs and violent
criminals from Arizona's communities and inmates who have successfully completed
drug treatment, including juvenile offenders.
Because much of this success is dependent upon partnerships and funding from the federal
government, the importance of that continued relationship is also noted on this page.
Several federal grants programs, most notably the Byrne/Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
and the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) grants, have been cut significantly
since 2004. The potential long-term impact of these cuts will mean a reduction in service
to Arizona's communities: narcotics task forces scaled back or cut completely; inmates
needing drug treatment will be turned away; systems upgrades for criminal records programs
will be delayed; and fewer crime victims will receive assistance.