Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed an executive order launching Arizona's Reentry 2030 program, aimed at expanding job opportunities for previously incarcerated individuals. The initiative is a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Council of State Governments.
Arizona joins Nebraska, Alabama, Missouri and other states in a bipartisan effort to reduce recidivism and enhance public safety by connecting former inmates to employment through workforce development, apprenticeships and vocational training.
Ryan Thornell, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, emphasized the value of such programs.
"Good public safety is about ensuring individuals in our custody have access to rehabilitative services, especially quality job training," Thornell said. "When employers train and hire formerly incarcerated individuals, they don't just change individual lives — they strengthen the security and prosperity of entire communities."
The executive order creates a Reentry 2030 working group led by ADCRR, which will work closely with the Council of State Governments. It also provides guidelines for state agencies, including the Department of Economic Security and the Department of Health Services. Reentry 2030 supports the governor's Talent Ready initiative, which connects Arizonans with good-paying jobs in growing industries.
In Arizona, about one in three residents has a criminal record, and roughly 93% of incarcerated people will eventually return to society. In 2023, less than half of those released from state prisons were employed one year after release. The Reentry 2030 program aims to guide these individuals toward opportunity, potentially reducing incarceration costs while filling workforce gaps.
"Creating pathways to work is essential to strengthening public safety and protecting taxpayer dollars," Hobbs said.
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