adult incarceration contracts; services; costs

HB 2356 regulates contracts for private companies to operate Arizona's adult correctional facilities. It requires private contractors to demonstrate experience, offer cost savings compared to state-operated facilities, and provide services meeting or exceeding state quality standards across 10 specific areas (like security, health services, and inmate programs). The bill mandates biennial service comparisons and five-year cost reviews to ensure private contracts deliver equivalent or better value, and allows the state to cancel contracts after the first year with 90 days' notice. It also prohibits contractors from handling inmate release decisions or disciplinary actions and removes sovereign immunity for contractors in legal disputes.