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."
Woman:”I’m in a wheelchair forever, thanks to DOC’s medical vendors’ neglect and malpractice “
M.J.’s medical nightmare began July 22, 2021. She woke up with no balance and her right leg dragging. M.J. immediately called an ICS and was seen by Provider Johnson. He diagnosed it as neuropathy without ordering an MRI or XRAY. Later that week she fell and hit her head. No wheelchair or walker was ordered to stabilize her unsteady gait.
Finally, after more mishaps and 6 months later, MJ got her MRI. The scan showed spinal cord bruising, that if not treated immediately would cause paralysis. An appointment for a neurologist was allegedly made, but 8 months later she still hadn’t been seen by one.
When her family inquired as to why, they were told it was because the DOC had made a transition from Corizon to Naphcare….and it fell between the cracks. A year and 3 months since her diagnosis, she is driven to Tucson in the Spring of 2023 for another MRI before surgery. On June 23d she finally gets her operation, but she reports no follow-up or aftercare.
Even though intensive physical therapy was ordered 3Xs per week, she only received 7 appointments total of PT. On December 7th she received the grim news from the neurologist: The bruising of the spinal cord is permanent and she will be forever wheelchair bound.
Elderly Diabetic With Sepsis Forced On Her Knees
A woman in her 70s was told to get on her knees and CRAWL FULLY CHAINED into a van to go to the hospital.
This all started with a spider bite on the woman’s stomach. When you have diabetes, any wound can become easily infected. The lady did go to medical when she got the bite, but all they did for her was give her hydrocortisone cream. It became infected and 5 days later. Even medical staff decided she should go to the hospital. It’s how she got there is the problem.
This is how she told us the story: “While I was in the medical building the 2 guards put me in full chains, legs, arms, belly chain…the works. I’m a minimum custody inmate, still within the prison yard, and normally I use a walker. When I got up to the van, I noticed they didn’t have a step (per policy) so I asked for one. The male guard snarled, ” We don’t have it get in now!” There was no way I could raise my leg in shackles so they told me to kneel on the van step. It took both guards to drag me to seat level, then they just shoved me sideways onto the seat. I was in unrelenting pain.”
Woman Left in Agony for Hours at San Carlos
An Air Force veteran we featured before, had another severe injury to her previously broken leg. Her knee and ankle were left hideously swollen just before 11 am count. CO Lara was informed immediately, but she asked the inmate if she could wait until count had cleared.
Unfortunately, during count, San Carlos had 3 ICS’s and our Vet hadn’t been seen by medical yet for, she claims, 2 hours. Finally, Lt. Cole stops by and the Vet is wheeled to medical. Allegedly, Lt. Cole tells her that an ICS is a “life or death situation, and hers doesn’t qualify.”
The Vet is a good soldier but she is crying because of the pain. The Head Nurse makes an assessment looking at the grotesquely swollen knee, and orders her to x-ray at Complex. After waiting in the medical hall for 3 hours, she is informed that no one is available to take her there! The Vet ends up back at the Bay for the night.
The next day our veteran is ordered to the V gate for the trip to Complex. Perryville only has one working wheelchair van, but it’s in use somewhere. The Vet has to refuse because without a wheelchair van, she’d be forced to CRAWL into the regular van. Been there, done that and she won’t do it again. A refusal means no x-ray….she hopes nothing is broken
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...
No Social Distancing at Perryville
God bless email capable inmates. Families are more than happy to share their loved ones' email from the women's prison. It isn't a pretty picture. The phrase "packed together like sardines" was most prevalent. One woman looked at her unit's medical waiting area which...
70-year-old Threatened with Ticket for Asking ABout Coronavirus!
Dateline San Carols 3/15/2020 7:36 am Sgt Spears advised an old woman that she would be given a ticket for hindering staff if she didn't stop asking about screening for Coronavirus. The inmate called her family to report this conversation. They called us. The woman...
Women Suffer From Hazardous Vapors
Dateline Santa Maria: On October 22, 2019, between the hours of 9:30 and noon women residents on "B" yard, cells in block #2 (2105 to 21-12 and 22-10 to 22-12) were subjected to Natural Sealant 104 fumes. As workers were applying a roof coating, women noticed a harsh...
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.