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Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan.

Arizona Town Hall held a community outreach program focused on the criminal justice system on Tuesday at the Rio Salado College Conference Center in Tempe.

Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan told the group of community members, criminal justice stakeholders, and formerly incarcerated people that the impact from legislation at the statehouse this session would probably be small.

Ryan said he did however, expect to see more significant changes to the Arizona Criminal Code in the next few years.

“Is the Department of Corrections going to go out of business?" Ryan asked. "No, that’s not going to occur.”

Ryan said at most 1,800 people in Arizona prisons could be impacted by proposed legislation that would affect the calculation of earned release credits for inmates.

Town hall attendees brainstormed on criminal justice issues that mattered most to them and discussed ways to take action in the community.