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In this episode, we break down how private prisons became a major part of Arizona’s corrections system and why the state relies on contract prison beds at one of the highest rates in the country. We walk through where private prisons came from, how sentencing policy and population growth shaped Arizona’s prison infrastructure over time, who operates these facilities today, what they cost taxpayers, and how decisions about incarceration capacity are made through the state budget and legislative process.

We also explore how Arizona compares to other states, who benefits from contract prison systems, and what policy options exist if the state chooses to manage prison capacity differently in the future.

In this episode, we talk about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and how immigration enforcement in Arizona became one of the most visible and controversial policy issues in the country. We walk through where ICE came from, how Arizona became a national testing ground for enforcement laws like SB 1070, who the major political and institutional players have been over time, how immigration enforcement intersects with Arizona’s economy and communities today, and what this all means for people living in a border state that continues to shape the national immigration conversation.

In this episode, we talk about Arizona's Universal ESA program and how it got started, who the players were, how it impacts Arizona families, and how it has grown into a huge drain on our state budget and our public schools.

Citations:

https://sosarizona.org/the-truth-about-esa-vouchers/

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/012826_az_voucher_congress/arizona-voucher-program-cited-as-cautionary-tale-during-school-choice-hearing/

https://www.12news.com/article/news/investigations/i-team/education-impact/i-team-empowerment-scholarship-accounts-parents-bought-diamond-rings-luxury-clothing-kenmore-appliances-education-tax-dollars/75-dff40d1f-3a34-435c-9edc-af4150352445