Much of Arizona’s criminal justice system is organized and functions at the municipal and county level. Aggregating the data to describe system activity for the state as a whole can mask important differences in crime and criminal justice system activity at the local level. In this report, data available on law enforcement, court, probation, and corrections activity impacting each county are compiled to give county-based criminal justice policymakers and practitioners an overview of crime and criminal justice system activity in their county.

Much of Arizona’s criminal justice system is organized and functions at the municipal and county level. Aggregating the data to describe system activity for the state as a whole can mask important differences in crime and criminal justice system activity at the local level. In this report, data available on law enforcement, court, probation, and corrections activity impacting each county are compiled to give county-based criminal justice policymakers and practitioners an overview of crime and criminal justice system activity in their county.

Much of Arizona’s criminal justice system is organized and functions at the municipal and county level. Aggregating the data to describe system activity for the state as a whole can mask important differences in crime and criminal justice system activity at the local level. In this report, data available on law enforcement, court, probation, and corrections activity impacting each county are compiled to give county-based criminal justice policymakers and practitioners an overview of crime and criminal justice system activity in their county.

Much of Arizona’s criminal justice system is organized and functions at the municipal and county level. Aggregating the data to describe system activity for the state as a whole can mask important differences in crime and criminal justice system activity at the local level. In this report, data available on law enforcement, court, probation, and corrections activity impacting each county are compiled to give county-based criminal justice policymakers and practitioners an overview of crime and criminal justice system activity in their county.

Much of Arizona’s criminal justice system is organized and functions at the municipal and county level. Aggregating the data to describe system activity for the state as a whole can mask important differences in crime and criminal justice system activity at the local level. In this report, data available on law enforcement, court, probation, and corrections activity impacting each county are compiled to give county-based criminal justice policymakers and practitioners an overview of crime and criminal justice system activity in their county.

The "2003 White Paper" attempts to present a comprehensive statewide report on the occurrence of crime in Arizona, as well as the associated workload of the criminal justice system. One of the most comprehensive resources since the publication of the "1995 White Paper" was the "2002 Crime Trends in Arizona" report. The "2003 White Paper" builds upon the "Crime Trends" report and gives the reader the comprehensive comparison to the changes that have taken place in the criminal justice system since the "1995 White Paper." It is the intent of this study to provide information in a factual and objective manner allowing easy access and individual interpretation.

This report summarizes some of the findings from the Arizona Youth Survey administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. The results for each city are presented along with comparisons to the results for the state. The survey was designed to assess school safety, adolescent substance use, anti-social behavior and the risk and protective factors that predict these adolescent problem behaviors.

Since 1996, Arizona has been building a comprehensive statewide system of school-to-work opportunities for students from kindergarten through college, supported by a School-to-Work (STW) implementation grant from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education. After 3 years, a public opinion poll of a 2,200-person random sample drawn from parents, businesses, and educators sought information on these five topics: (1) public awareness of the STW initiative, (2) perceived need for school change; (3) reactions to specific changes embodied by STW; (4) specific attitudes toward STW; and (5) support for the STW initiative.

The polling data showed that awareness of STW among educators is up; increasing percentages of parents and educators report being involved in a regional partnership; and there are high levels of support for changes in the public school system, types of learning programs needed, STW implementation, and the changes in school operations that STW signifies. Educators are increasingly viewing STW as a broad-based career exploration and preparation initiative designed to meet the needs of all students.

Support for STW is also growing along the lines of public policy, tax-paying readiness, and candidate support. On the other hand, fewer businesses than in the past report being aware of STW or involved in local school efforts, although a majority of businesses polled continue to express high levels of support for STW,. More businesses view STW as a program that is limited in scope, serves only select students, and is likely to fail because of entrenched bureaucracy, and growing numbers of parents and teachers are beginning to share these views. The study concluded that policy-level action is needed to keep STW alive in Arizona.