The proposed bill, referred to as the "Private Prison Performance Act," introduces significant changes to the way private prisons operate in Arizona. It amends sections 41-1609 and 41-1609.01 of the Arizona Revised Statutes and adds article 9 to chapter 11 of title 41, focusing on private prisons.

The bill mandates that all contracts with private prisons must comply with the new article 9, which includes performance metrics such as annual improvement of performance metrics and a base achievement contract with financial incentives based on reducing the return to prison rate and increasing job placement rates for eligible offenders. The bill also introduces penalties for housing placement failures and requires detailed annual reporting on various performance metrics. Additionally, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission is tasked with defining baseline rates and determining necessary employment data for calculations related to the act. Contracts must demonstrate cost savings, equal or improved service levels, and the ability to improve performance metrics. Existing language regarding funds and adjustments to contract prices is slightly modified, replacing "funds" with "monies" and "per cent" with "percent."

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-1609, 41-1609.01, 35-193, 41-2537, 41-1609.02, 41-1692, 41-1693, 41-2546