Altman became a signatory for Right on Crime in early 2016. In 2017, he joined the reform movement, promoting Right on Crime’s policies in the State Houses of Arizona and New Mexico. And in 2021, he took on the added role of Director of Prosecutorial Innovation, where his decades of experience as a state and federal prosecutor could be put to use. He has nearly 27 years of criminal law and constitutional litigation experience. As a former Deputy Maricopa County Attorney and Assistant United States Attorney, Kurt has conducted hundreds of felony jury trials and led investigations of criminal conduct ranging from homicide and capital cases to complex white-collar matters.
Conservative criminal justice and public safety values require a system that holds offenders accountable, protects victims, and makes communities safer. At the same time, effective government means pursuing policies that deliver better outcomes, use taxpayer resources wisely, and ensure the justice system works as intended. Across the states, Right On Crime supports commonsense solutions that strengthen public safety, uphold the rule of law, and improve the effectiveness of our criminal justice system.
In Arizona, Right On Crime is supporting policies that expand safety valve protections for veterans and first responders, giving judges discretion to consider service-related factors when determining appropriate sentences while preserving accountability and public safety. ROC also supports efforts to streamline misdemeanor expungement and increase access to home detention as an alternative to incarceration when an offender does not pose a public safety risk, saving prison beds for the most dangerous, and is supporting policies that reclassify convictions when people have been held accountable and paid their debt in full, so that they can start again and fully participate as complete members of society.
Right On Crime and Prosecutorial Innovation in America Director Kurt Altman sits down with Rob Sanders, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Kentucky’s 16th Judicial Circuit, Kenton County to discuss the benefits of the H.E.A.R.T. program. This innovative and groundbreaking program sees a 92% success rate, meaning only an 8% recidivism rate in drug cases. Sanders says the H.E.A.R.T. program is effective because it saves taxpayers money by freeing up prison space, addressing addiction, and giving people a second chance to avoid prison.