For the Arizona Department of Corrections, crime has started to pay.
A new law allows the department to impose a $25 fee on adults who want to visit inmates at any of the 15 prison complexes that house state prisoners.
The one-time “background check fee” for visitors, thought to be the first of its kind in the nation, has angered prisoner advocacy groups and family members of inmates, who in many cases already shoulder the expense of traveling long distances to the remote areas where many prisons are located.
David Fathi, director of the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, called the fee “mind-boggling.” He said that although it was ostensibly intended to help the state — the money will be used to repair and maintain the prisons — it could have a negative effect on public safety.
“We know that one of the best things you can do if you want people to go straight and lead a law-abiding life when they get out of prison is to continue family contact while they’re in prison,” he said. “Talk about penny-wise and pound-foolish.”
