Phoenix, AZ– One year ago, Allister Adel was unanimously appointed Maricopa County Attorney by a bipartisan vote of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Since taking office, Allister has implemented significant reforms, focusing on a “treatment first” approach.
“One year ago, Allister laid out a robust vision for our criminal justice system and has worked tirelessly each day to implement these much-needed reforms,” said Lorna Romero, campaign spokeswoman. “These reforms are real and meaningful, and have significantly changed our criminal justice system for the better. But Allister recognizes there is still much work to do and looks forward to working with the community on additional reforms to keep children and families safe.”
Since becoming Maricopa County Attorney, Allister Adel as implemented the following reforms:
- Elimination of $630 diversion program fee
- Creation of a robust, evidence-based diversion program that addresses the specific underlying behaviors and conditions that affect criminal behavior
- Creation of a public-facing dashboard with data about cases submitted to the office by law enforcement, cases filed, diverted and dismissed, and demographic information
- Changes to plea policies to better assess the circumstances of individual defendants and promote a “treatment first” approach to drug possession cases
- Established the first ever Home Detention Program in Maricopa County
- Added community members to the Critical Incident Review Committee
- Creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit to investigate claims of innocence, potential inappropriate police conduct and other allegations of prosecutorial unfairness
- Established Community and Business Advisory Boards to receive input from the community on important issues
- Advocated for mandatory use of body-worn cameras for all uniformed officers in the field
- Lifted previous directive to law enforcement to not release body-worn camera footage
- Public records process improvements by eliminating the backlog and reformed the process to reduce response time for records
- Resumed Handling Uncontested Adoptions In-House
- Launched the “Keeping Families Safe” Initiative to educate families on important safety issues facing our community
- Zero tolerance stance on sexual harassment in the office
Allister recognizes there is still much work do to and is focused on:
Mandatory Use of Body Worn Cameras
- As a prosecutor, Allister understands the importance of capturing body worn camera footage when considering a charging decision
- She supports mandated use of body-worn cameras for all uniformed law enforcement officers in the field throughout the state
Increase Mental Health Services & Expand Diversion Programs
- Allister’s job is to ensure the most dangerous offenders are held accountable but those who want to “do better and be better” are given the opportunity and provided the resources necessary to do so
- Continue a “treatment first” approach for individuals who suffer from addiction and mental illness
- Increased funding and community resources for substance abuse and mental health services
- Creation of a veterans diversion program
Sentencing Reform & Sensible Arizona Expungement Laws
- The amount of time a person is sentenced is set by state statute, originally enacted in 1994
- Lead a review of sentencing guidelines and work with legislature to update statutes
- Discuss the creation of sensible expungement laws in Arizona
