by Keith Reeves

Created on: December 10, 2008

Introduction

In 1968, the Department of Corrections was created in Arizona. The idea was to centralize, unify, and modify the administration and development of a correctional program. The Department of Corrections in Arizona is to provide the protection that is needed for citizens. To be able to provide this protection, police and prisons need to be equipped with effective equipment and with a well-trained work force. To be able to have this, the State needs to be able to have the money necessary to provide this type of protection for the citizens of Arizona. The Department of Corrections is not considered an entitlement program. This means that an individual does not have the right to have the benefit of public safety. Even though Corrections is not an entitlement program, the State recognizes that it is one of the top three services that must be funded at all times.

In Arizona there has been an increase in the amount of money that is being spent as the years pass. This paper will look at the trends of prison spending in the past decade. This paper will talk about why spending for corrections has been increasing as years go on. In addition, this paper will discuss what spending will be like in the future and what can be done to reduce it.

Funding the Department of Corrections

Funding for the Department of Corrections comes from both the State government and the Federal government. At the same time there are many funds that are set up by the state to be able to fund the operating budget. About 95 percent of the operating budget is funded by the State's general fund (Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Report (FYAR)). The general fund revenue is composed of sales and use tax, individual income tax, corporate tax, and other sources. Over half of the general fund revenue comes from sales taxes. The individual income tax comprises of 39 percent of the general fund revenue (FYAR). For the FY 2009, 10 percent of the general fund was appropriated to the Department of Corrections (FYAR). It is the fourth largest program to be funded by the general fund. In the FY 2007, the operating budget was $857,039,200 (FYAR). The State general fund for the same fiscal year offered $815,046,200 to the Department of Corrections (FYAR). The total amount of funding that was appropriated to the Department of Corrections was $901,336,300 (FYAR). That means that only $86,290,100 is being funded by other funds from the state and the federal government. This shows that about all of the money

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