"The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission is the State's Leading Criminal Justice Resource Agency"
 

Mission Statement

Our mission is to continuously address, improve, sustain and enhance public safety in the State of Arizona through the coordination, cohesiveness and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System.

Vision Statement

By serving as the central core of criminal justice information, knowledge, funding, and relationships, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission will lead Arizona's efforts to identify problems, implement solutions that impact all aspects of the criminal justice system, and create safer communities.

About Us

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission is a statutorily authorized entity mandated to carry out various coordinating, monitoring and reporting functions regarding the administration and management of criminal justice programs in Arizona. In accordance with statutory guidelines, the Commission is comprised of 21 members who represent various elements of the criminal justice system in Arizona.  The Commission staff is comprised of up to 25 employees working in seven key program areas.  Those program areas are Crime Victim Services, Data Integration Analytics and Optimization/Statistical Analysis Center, Criminal Justice Systems Improvement, Public Information, Information Technology, Finance, and Drug, Gang, and Violent Crime Control. 

ACJC was created in 1982 to serve as a resource and service organization for Arizona's 480 criminal justice agencies on a myriad of issues ranging from drugs, gangs, victim compensation and assistance to criminal record improvement initiatives. The ACJC works on behalf of the criminal justice agencies in Arizona to facilitate information and data exchange among state-wide agencies by establishing and maintaining criminal justice information archives, monitoring new and continuing legislation relating to criminal justice issues and gathering information and researching existing criminal justice programs.

Duties & Authority

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission was statutorily created in 1982, defined by A.R.S. §41-2401 through §41-2420, to carry out various coordinating, monitoring and reporting functions regarding the administration and management of criminal justice programs in Arizona. The ACJC serves as a resource and service organization for Arizona’s criminal justice community on a myriad of issues ranging from drugs, gangs and victim assistance to record improvement programs. The Commission also works to facilitate information and data exchange among state-wide criminal justice agencies.

Commissioners

The Commission is comprised of 21 members, with each member representing various elements of the criminal justice system in Arizona. Sixteen of the 21 Commissioners are appointed by the governor and are municipal, county, elected officials, a public defender, and a victims advocate. The remaining five are state criminal justice agency heads. 

The Commission members are as follows: Arizona Attorney General; Director of the Department of Public Safety; Administrative Director of the Courts; Director of the State Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Re-entry;  Chairperson of the Board of Clemency. Nine of the remaining 16 members are appointed by the Governor and are designated by county population: County Attorney, County Sheriff, Chief of Police from Maricopa County, Pima County, and one of the 13 remaining counties. The remaining seven members include: Law Enforcement leader, Mayor, member of a county board of supervisors, former judge, Chief of Probation, Public Defender, and Victims Advocate. 

Commissioners are appointed by the Governor. Appointed Commissioners serve for two years and terminate when the first regular session of the legislature is convened; existing Commissioners may be re-appointed.