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.”
True Story of Deceased Inmate from Santa Maria – by C.L.M.
I was K.T.s neighbor. We'd lived next door to each other for two years amd became friends. K.T. was 62 years old, walked with a cane, but was otherwise healthy. We first thought she had come down with the flu, but her coughing and respiratory distress lingered for...
Just in time – by G.V.
"I have scaly skin lesions on my face for over a year, and could not talk my "provider" into a dermatology referral. As luck would have it, a real MD walked by as I was in my wheelchair and I asked him to tale a look at my face. He said it looks like cancer, I'll...
The Guard Let Me Fall – by J.M.
I went to the hospital for heart failure. Just before I was discharged, I had to go to the bathroom. I'm 72 years old, and they had me shackled with a belly chain, hand cuffs, and feet cuffed. When the female guard started to help me up, she let go too soon and I...
Just Drink Water – by C.A.
I have had Crohn's disease for 6 years before I came to Perryville. Corizon said "it's cured" even though they gave me no treatment for it. The provider prescribed medication for I.B.S. (totally different disease than Crohn's) and that caused me to start throwing up...
Imprisoning America’s Mentally Ill
by Edward Lyon published in Prison Legal News February, 2019, page 22 Since the 1962 publication of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a mirror image of the best-selling novel’s plot has played out in U.S. prisons. Author Ken Kasey wrote a work of fiction about a...
Inmate 1997 – Interview
You may have met IM 1997 and her C.O.P.D. story here on the Smoking page, but this is what happened to her in regards to cancer. She discovered a lump in her upper-left breast in 2008. The mammogram did not show it because the lump was too far above the scope of the...
Elder Abuse at Perryville
This is not an isolated case of elder abuse at the women's prison. Sgt. G admitted to an inmate that cases of inmate elder abuse are too common here. The latest example was a 64 year old lady who uses a cane. Her 20 year old room mate didn't want to room "with an old...
Unsanitary Living Conditions
Dept. of Corrections expects us to clean our room but does not provide the necessary means to do so. We wash our floors with Suave shampoo. Shampoo is not going to kill the stomach flu or worse bacteria such as Hep C. We used to get cleaner that was blue like window...
Society, Are You Afraid of Us?
We are in our 60's, 70's, and 80's. Here is a picture of "pill call" at 9:30 am, 365 days a year, where we line up in front of Medical. Everyone in this sketch is a first-time "offender." What are we thinking? That we are resigned to leaving prison feet first, not...
Crumbling Infrastructure
This image is a watercolor (because no photographs in prison) in "B" yard, Santa Cruz unit. This is the rule, NOT the exception.
On the Inside: The Chaos of Arizona Prison Health Care
The Arizona Department of Corrections contracts with privately owned correctional health care company Corizon Health to oversee all medical, mental and dental care at 10 state prisons. However, that care has come under scrutiny in federal court. Read more: ...
Corizon Loses Indiana DOC Medical Contract Amid Lawsuits
Originally published OCT. 10, 2017 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News October, 2017, page 44 by David Reutter In 2005, at the urging of then-Governor Mitch Daniels, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) awarded a contract to privatize medical care...
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.