Did the 65 Law for Prisoners Pass in Arizona?

The 65 law for prisoners in Arizona did not pass. A series of bills introduced starting in 2019 by then-Representative Walter Blackman would have let non-violent inmates earn release after serving roughly 65 percent of their sentence instead of the current 85 percent, but no version made it through both chambers. Arizona still operates under the truth-in-sentencing framework it adopted in 1993.

What the Bill Would Have Done

The proposal increased the rate at which inmates could accumulate earned release credits. To collect the extra credit, a person would have had to complete drug treatment, education, vocational training, or another self-improvement program approved by the Arizona Department of Corrections. Sustained participation in correctional industries or approved work programs was an alternative path. The credit was not automatic; it had to be documented.

Under current law, someone serving a 10-year sentence must spend at least eight and a half years in custody. Under the bill, that same person could have been eligible for supervised release after about six and a half years.

The public shorthand “65 law” understates how far one version went. HB 2270, introduced in 2019, would have let non-violent offenders earn release after serving as little as 50 percent of their sentence, while people convicted of dangerous offenses would still have had to serve at least 65 percent. Later versions adjusted the thresholds, but the label stuck.

How Far It Got Before Dying

The Arizona House passed the bill 60-0. That unanimous vote reflected real bipartisan agreement that the sentencing structure needed reform, which made what happened next unusual: the Senate never brought it to a floor vote. Inaction killed it.

Blackman kept trying. HB 2270 came in 2019, HB 2808 in 2020, and HB 2713 in 2021. Other legislators filed companion bills, including HB 2775, which proposed even more generous credit structures for non-violent offenders. None finished the process. Opposition focused on public safety concerns, resistance from victims’ rights groups, and political reluctance to look lenient on crime during election cycles.

As of 2026, no version of the 65 law has been enacted. The 85 percent requirement remains unchanged for the vast majority of inmates.

What Still Applies Instead

Arizona eliminated discretionary parole for offenses committed on or after January 1, 1994. The rules that replaced it are the rules still in force today.¹

The 85 Percent Rule

Under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 41-1604.07, most people convicted of felonies earn one day of release credit for every six days served. For every seven days of a sentence, an inmate serves six behind bars and gets one day of credit, which works out to roughly 85 percent of the sentence in custody and the remaining 15 percent under community supervision.²

Credits do not shorten the sentence the court imposed. They determine when a person moves from prison to supervised release. A 10-year sentence is still a 10-year sentence; the question is how much is served inside.

Credits can also be forfeited for disciplinary violations. The Department of Corrections can strip earned credits for rule infractions, which means 85 percent is a floor, not a guarantee.

The 70 Percent Rule for Certain Drug Cases

Arizona law carves out a better rate for specific drug possession offenses. Inmates sentenced for possessing or using marijuana, a dangerous drug, a narcotic drug, or drug paraphernalia can earn three days of credit for every seven days served, which works out to roughly 70 percent of the sentence in custody.²

To qualify, the inmate has to successfully complete a drug treatment program or another major self-improvement program while incarcerated, and cannot have a prior conviction for a violent or aggravated felony as defined under ARS Section 13-706.³

Serious Offenses Are Excluded

People convicted of the most serious crimes face much harsher timelines. Arizona defines “serious offenses” to include first and second degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault involving serious physical injury or a deadly weapon, sexual assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, arson of an occupied structure, and dangerous crimes against children, among others. Repeat offenders convicted of two or more serious offenses can be sentenced to life imprisonment with no eligibility for release until at least 25 years have been served.⁴

Who Would Have Qualified If It Had Passed

The proposal was narrow. It targeted people convicted of non-violent offenses who completed rehabilitation programming. Anyone with a conviction for a serious offense under ARS 13-706 was excluded, as was anyone previously convicted of a violent or aggravated felony.⁴

Qualifying required action. An eligible inmate would have had to complete a drug treatment program, an educational program, vocational training, or another major self-improvement program approved by the Department of Corrections. Sustained work in correctional industries or approved work assignments could also satisfy the requirement.

Where That Leaves Arizona Inmates

With the bill dead, the credit structures already in the statute are the only ones available. For most people that means the 85 percent rule. For those convicted of qualifying drug possession offenses who complete treatment programs, the 70 percent rule applies. No broader reduction in mandatory time served has been enacted, and any future change would need new legislation to pass both chambers and get the governor’s signature.

1
Bureau of Justice Statistics. Truth in Sentencing in State Prisons
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-1604.07 – Earned Release Credits; Forfeiture; Restoration; Released Prisoner Health Care; Annual Report
3
Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Department Order 1002 – Inmate Release Eligibility System
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-706 – Serious, Violent or Aggravated Offenders; Sentencing; Life Imprisonment; Definitions