Women in AZ spend far longer in prison than women nationally. These additional months and years are not making Arizona safer. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that longer sentences do not make people less likely to commit a crime in the future. Recidivism is even worse because Arizona does not rehabilitate, it warehouses for profit. Longer sentences mean more money in the pockets of the powerful.
Women older than 55 admitted to Perryville increased 141% in 2020. Much of this accelerated growth among older women can be attributed to incarceration for drug crimes. Old women are far more likely to be sent to prison for drug possession than younger women! With the notoriously horrible health care in prison, this can be a death sentence.