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."
Registered Nurse: “H. Pylori is rampant in Perryville”
An RN source alerted us to this story. According to her, this serious bacterial disease is prevalent in prisons….at least AZ prisons. This virulent strain of bacteria is, according to the Merck manual, is the cause of gastritis and ulcers. Long-term infection increases the risk of stomach cancer. Other research found this bacteria is found in FILTHY places, i.e. greasy spoon diners, unwashed utensils, and unsanitary conditions.
Remember we told you about Perryville’s main complex kitchen being shut down for horrific violations of basic sanitation. Of course, the hordes of rats found in the kitchen and storerooms didn’t help matters. This prison was built in the early ’70s, and as we know the DOC hates to part with money, and so new dishwashers are rarely installed.
According to sources, the old dishwashers don’t get to the required temperature to sanitize the dishes/trays. Bleach is supposed to be added, but bleach is in short supply as inmates steal it from the kitchen so they can clean their rooms. Especially with the advent of Covid. You can’t blame them when basic cleaning supplies are almost nonexistent. We will keep in touch with the Health Department and keep you apprised.
AZDOC has NOT told their pregnant inmates about the ‘Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act’
Families of pregnant women have told us that there has been no postings or any dissemination of information about the Act. These expectant mothers need to know they will no longer be shackled or restrained in any way. And after birth, they will be allowed to bond with their babies for 72 hours. We wonder why the DOC is hiding this information from them…..
Read more about the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act:
https://kjzz.org/content/1695499/dignity-incarcerated-women-bill-passes-arizona-legislature-again
https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/HB2261/2021
Judge Silver to AZDOC: “See you in court!”
Federal Judge Roslyn Silver has finally lost patience with the DOC. She’s taking them to trial over their continued non-compliance with Parson v. Ryan, a class action suit started in 2012.
If the DOC can’t defend their decision to turn over the health care of inmates to a for-profit contractor, they will be in receivership, and that will end substandard health care for inmates.
Judge Silver says it best, “The state’s failures have led to preventable deaths, suicides, and untold suffering by inmates unable to obtain medical treatment. The dead are not advantaged by repeated promises of better behavior in the future, nor are they able to gain from monetary rewards. It is impossible to quantify the harm suffered by prisoners because of inadequate health care.”
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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.