Health Horror Stories
"These stories of health abuse are not independently verified by the editors of this website. However, all of the women have agreed to a HIPPA release to any qualified attorney willing to take their case, or to an investigative reporter from the media."
New Data from World Prison Brief
This organization counted 2,068,800 US citizens incarcerated. That is an astounding 25% of the world’s total prison population. Keep in mind we comprise only 4.17% of the world’s total population in 2023, giving America the highest per capita rate of incarceration.
The sheer size of the prison business has spawned companies that gain huge profits while failing to provide adequate staff and scrimping on services. Prisoners are denied preventative medical care, suffer annual canteen price increases, and food with no fresh fruits or vegetables… EVER!
Private companies in the prison industry are regular political campaign contributors. Politicians, in turn, vote for laws that keep the prison profitable, either by making more arrests or lengthening sentences to keep prisoners from getting out.
Overcrowding In Perryville Causing Mental Health Crisis
Overcrowding is not the only reason for the mental health disaster that affects the ladies here, but it’s a big contributor. The crowding is most felt in the dorm-style units, as there is absolutely NO PRIVACY. The lights burn all day and night….imagine trying to sleep with the lights on. It never gets dark. And it’s never quiet. Ever. At least in 2 man cells, there’s only one other person to contend with….dorm style 150 persons.
At night, you can hear the sobbing and crying. The SMI’s wander around aimlessly all night. The druggies retire to the shower and bathroom areas to get high. The ones on MAT are puking their guts up, or senseless on their beds.
What a way to rehabilitate.
Guard Recounts Sad MAT Story
We have reported on this misguided MAT program, that turns clean and sober women into opioid addicts again….FOR MONETARY GAIN. Research revealed the culprit is the Republican-led legislature. Of course.
We were fortunate enough to interview two women recently transferred from the California prison. Their MAT program is quite different and sane. Only inmates that are currently on opioids when they come into intake (R and A), are put on the program to gradually wean them off the drug.
Officer S. tells his brief story: ” Inmate G. had been clean for 7 years here in Perryville. Then she got into the MAT program 3 months prior to going home. She realized her error soon, but they wouldn’t drop her from the program. When her release date arrived she begged her COIII (the officer won’t reveal which one) to let her “burn her number” (stay in prison until off paper) because she knew she was addicted again. He refused and sent her to the gate. Here’s the sad part. She immediately got high because the MAT program released her with no continuing medication or a way to get any.
Now she reoffended and is serving more time because the state of Arizona is money hungry.”
D.W. HERNANDEZ ABOLISHES EXTRA MATTRESS FOR THE INFIRM!
Received this directly from an elderly inmate. "All of us in gray hair, some with hip replacements, wheelchairs, walkers, canes and elderly, were appalled when the officer stormed through San Carlos today taking our double mattresses. Our MEDICALLY APPROVED extra...
She’s only an inmate…
American Friends Service Committee has collected and donated much-needed supplies to prisons state-wide. Among those supplies were 1800 masks. The masks donated to Perryville however are still in the warehouse, along with masks donated by other organizations. And it...
Unsung Hero of the Night
This is from an inmate on the San Carlos unit. It's nice to hear good news once in a while. "I would like to commend an officer for his excellent service to the well-being and safety of the inmates. His name is Marcione, and he works graveyard shift on San Carlos. All...
Update 5-10-2020
We have a few reports from inside to share with you today. We just found out from 2 trusted staff about the gal with COVID-19 symptoms that got taken out of A-bay in San Carlos (reported on 5/4/2020) .....no one cleaned or disinfected her cubby! Then hours later some...
From the 5-6-2020 Town Hall
5-6-20: Reportedly from inmates that attended a Town Hall meeting, 65+ women will get no special treatment. All chronic care individuals will be "screened" regularly for "symptoms". Covid-19 tests allegedly on site and will be "administered as deemed appropriate". As...
Update 5/5/2020:
We hear that two more inmates from the COVID-19 exposed San Pedro unit were transferred to San Carlos A Bay yesterday. Both of those inmates indicated that they finished only 12 days of the 14-day quarantine before being moved into this vulnerable population. Many of...
Update 5-4-2020: Here we go!
Remember we mentioned in the last update that inmates from San Pedro, where 2 staffers have (supposedly) been diagnosed with COVID-19, were transferred out of the unit just 2 days after it was announced that no transfers would happen? Well...5 days later two...
Update 4-28-2020
First - some good news. The two LPN's named in the previous update are now wearing masks. A repeat of the informal survey at pill call on Tuesday morning returned a 100% compliance report. Did our naming names help? No idea, but we are very happy with the report. Now...
Update 4-24-2020
Maybe it's just us, but wouldn't you expect medical professionals like nurses to be at least as conscientious about personal protection as the average grocery checker? Apparently not. As recently as yesterday two LPN's were reportedly seen treating inmates and not...
Update 4.20.2020
What a difference a day makes...as of this morning, 4/21/2020 , all Keefe personnel are wearing masks. Today's news from Perryville. Cleaning supplies:Two liquid hand soap dispensers have been installed. Outside. One at each end of the yard. Not sanitizer - soap. A...
Update from Inside – 4/14/2020
Here are a few notable items from inside Perryville as of this morning, 4/14/2020. We mentioned that Perryville was expecting a shipment of 200 cots to be used for COVID-19 quarantine somewhere in the complex. Yesterday, Monday, a convoy of 7 military trucks rolled up...
Updates from Inside
As of Wednesday, 4/8/20 - San Carlos: There is a new sign outside of Medical, "Only 5 people inside at a time." Sounds good, right? It's not being enforced at all! On that same day at 6 am there were 17 people in the lab lines. At the 1:30 pm pill call there were 15...
I was in prison for 17years and have seen so many people die in front of me It’s traumatic and I have PTSD from it. Medical never helped me for my heart problems, never took tests, just told me I have congested heart failure and didn’t do anything for me. I saw it every day. They never helped us, made us always feel like we were lying and would send us away. Making people work in the kitchen who have scoliosis, heart problems, people who have AIDS and Hep C as well as other STDs. There’s rat poop on our kitchen food, birds all over our trays that we eat off of making us all even sicker, black mold everywhere. We can’t breathe in our cells due to all the mold and crud in our walls, vents, and coolers. They are trying to kill us – they don’t care and the money they get for us does not go to us. There is so much more.
I’ve been sexually attacked by the CO police officers twice. I have my whole life to account for in there and I’m surprised I made it out after 17years. They have medium inmates on max yards getting assaulted and they don’t care. They say it is due to no room. They also send you to max yard as punishment without ever getting tickets. It’s all retaliation. They will ruin your life if you don’t do what they want. They make up lies, yep the sergeants, if you refuse to work because you don’t feel good. I heard a Sergeant say “Oh you’re going to hurt yourself” then cuff her up and put her in isolation when the girl never said it. I’ve seen it all, believe that.
Hi Cynthia! I’m not sure if you’ll see this but I am so sorry for what you went through. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your story. I would love to ask you questions as I am exploring ideas for my doctoral capstone and am interested in issues in the AZ Women’s Prison. Is there any way we could talk further?
That was my friend 😭 she was cool ag and funny. I feel bad I had to leave San Carlos for Cruz. But fck their medical center, the whole prison is fucked up and corrupted. I’ve been out for 8 months now and I still remember everything like yesterday especially with health care. Like can the prison do an upgrade and fix their shit or will more ppl have to die like my friend here? It’s fucked up because I knew she was having a hard time in the beginning getting her shots. We both came from the same county. She wasn’t even a criminal like person. She was fun, bright and very smart, like she could’ve went to college. She had alot planned for herself…damn I love Jowell thank for the laughs and being a loyal friend. Rest in Paradise
Yeah, she was a very cool person to know. She would hug you when she saw you with a big smile. She was always cool to everyone, no hate or anger in her heart but she probably did towards ADOC health employees
I was incarcerated for 9 years and just released March 2024. In 2019, my stomach swelled up and I looked 9 months pregnant. They told me I had impacted stool and had me drink a laxative. The pain got worse, I couldn’t breath or walk and this went on for 2 months. My family contacted the ACLU and prison and finally in February 2020 I was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian cancer. I was in the hospital for 10 days and started chemo. I went back to the prison and was expecting chemo every 3 weeks. It took over a 3 weeks for me to get scheduled for my next chemo. In May, I had just came back from chemo and was told I was packing up and being sent to San Carlos. I had to load and unload all of my belongings after a day of chemo and was being transferred to a yard with 1300 women. I then had surgery to remove the cancer in July and once released from the hospital was sent to Maria and put in a cell, by myself with no A/C. I had to move everything by myself and carry a chair out to take a shower. I had an incision from belly button to my pubic bone. Finally after 2 weeks, I was sent back to Carlos. I was told later that I had peritoneal cancer and not ovarian, after I had had a complete hysterectomy. I never had a follow up PET scan to make sure the cancer was gone. In March of 2023, I started seeing a new oncologist, Dr. Benjamin and he finally ordered a PET scan and saw that I had cancer again in the same area of my stomach. I had surgery again in May and started six rounds of chemo. Between the medical Dr’s John and Johnson my medical treatment at the prison was horrible. They didn’t give me anything but Tylenol and Excedrin for the pain and I had to fight to get an extra mattress and extra milk for protein shakes. If I didn’t have my family to support me and stand up for me I would have died. I applied for clemency 2 times and because I wasn’t dying in 3 months, I was refused. Something needs to change with the health system and prison.