A new website is making it easier for residents to find out and keep track of how their candidates view the issue of criminal justice reform in Arizona and the country.

And, according to a polling memo, about 52 percent of people 65 and older are likely to back a candidate who supports restoring the right to vote for any person who has served their prison sentence.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona launched Vote Smart Justice, a new voter education tool highlighting criminal justice reform issues during the midterm elections and providing voters with information to make informed decisions at the ballot box.

“Voters across the political spectrum recognize that our current justice system is ineffective, discriminatory, and costly and they want politicians who will change that,” stated Tony Cani, political director of the ACLU of Arizona, in a news release. “People are suffering every day because of our mass incarceration crisis that has been fueled by politicians passing extreme laws.

"In a state where lawmakers have to make difficult decisions on how to spend our resources, more than $1 billion is being spent to incarcerate people with few options to rehabilitate them or to help them succeed once they are released from prison. Voters are fed up with it.”

In Arizona, rights are restored to first-time felony offenders upon release from prison. However, all others must petition on an individual basis. Not all are approved.

According to statistics on Vote Smart Justice, 42,320 Arizona residents are in state prisons. Another 97,000 are under state supervision. This does not include inmates at county jails like the Fourth Avenue Jail in Maricopa County.

In addition, 41 percent of Arizona’s incarcerated population is Latino, compared to 30 percent of the state population.

Vote Smart Justice 2018 is a component of the ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice’s work to educate voters nationwide about the role of elected politicians in the creation and perpetuation of mass incarceration, and to push candidates to adopt platforms that embrace criminal justice reform.

On the website, users can input their address to access information on whether candidates are supportive or opposed to reforms related to a variety of issues including policing, drug laws, unfair sentencing laws, and cash bail.

For candidates with no public record, users are encouraged to contact the candidate directly. Any questions or inquiries from candidates or the public can be emailed to smartjustice@aclu.org.

“There is a process in place for the ACLU to receive and consider any updates to the page prior to Election Day,” Mr. Cani told the Daily News-Sun about how a candidate’s stance on an issue can be updated on the website.

The website also provides information on how users can volunteer and get involved in Smart Justice Campaign work happening in their state.

The ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice is a multi-year effort in all 50 states to reduce the U.S. jail and prison population by 50 percent and to combat racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Unity for criminal justice reform

Along with the website, the ACLU of Arizona released a new public opinion polling memo revealing support for criminal justice reform across the ideological spectrum.

The David Binder Research conducted a statewide survey of 400 potential voters between August 23 and 26. It found 81 percent of likely Arizona voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports criminal justice reform. In addition, 67 percent of likely Arizona voters, including 60 percent of white Republicans, are more likely to support candidates who pledge to reduce and speak out against racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

And while Arizona’s senior population appears split on giving ex-convicts voting rights, 78 percent of the senior population is more likely to support a candidate who would make it easier for people released from prison to find a job or housing.

ACLU officials said 151 likely voters age 65 and older participated in the survey, accounting for nearly 38 percent of the total respondents.

However, because the ACLU of Arizona did not conduct a qualitative analysis on why people gave particular answers, the reasons for this difference is anyone’s guess.

“The ACLU of Arizona has been doing voter restoration work for years,” Mr. Cani told the DNS. “What we’ve found is there is still a lot of work to be done to educate the public about the problem of felony disfranchisement in Arizona and people may not understand that people who are allowed to earn back their eligibility to vote are less likely to commit crimes in the future.

“Losing the right to vote is one of the many barriers people face once released from prison. People who’ve served their time should not be locked out of our democracy.”

Arizona candidates take positions

Visit votesmartjustice.org/state/AZ to access information about candidates for U.S. Congress, Arizona Governor and the State Legislature to see where they stand on criminal justice reform issues.

The information is based on a candidate’s legislative voting records and public statements. However, the ACLU did not submit questions to candidates. The public statements are taken from candidates’ websites or other campaign materials and quotes published in the media.

Right now the website does not include information on Arizona legislative candidates. However, it will in the near future.

“We don’t have an exact date yet of when all that information will be ready for publication, but it should be soon,” said Analise Ortiz, communications strategist for the Smart Justice Campaign.

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko has information on the site, as does Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and challenger David Garcia. However, Hiral Tipirneni, Ms. Lesko’s opponent in Congressional District 8, does not. Residents can contact her campaign at 623-229-5565 or info@hiral4congress.com.

Again, residents can submit their candidate’s responses for a possible update to the website to smartjustice@aclu.org.

Election reminders

As for the Nov. 6 General Election, residents must register by Oct. 9. Early voting begins Oct. 11 through Nov. 2.

Those voting by mail are encouraged to request a ballot by Oct. 26 and have it back in the outgoing box by Oct. 31.

On Election Day, residents can turn in their ballots in person at their polling locations or a Vote Center.