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."
An 80-year-old Woman’s Perspective on Perryville
“Hi, my name is Joy and I arrived in Perryville 2019 at the ripe old age of 78. I used a cane when I came in, and now I’m wheelchair-bound. I’m serving a 2-year sentence for a white-collar crime I did not commit.
Although I am a cancer survivor, I was in reasonably good health for my age when I got here. Incompetent health care is the reason, I believe, that I’m in this wheelchair suffering from TIA’S and high blood pressure.
In case you think I’m some homeless old lady, let me set you straight. I am the daughter of a minister, went to college and received my CPA license, and worked all my life in accounting. I was one of the people that thought my tax dollars were going to rehabilitate folks, restorative justice not punitive justice. I was wrong.
I’m in a section of women inmates that pose no threat to the public. We have many cancer patients here….two are terminal. They applied for end-of-life clemency so they could die among loved ones. Arizona’s track record for clemency is ZERO. Those two ladies will die here alone in prison. This is a minimum unit, low-level drug charges…..does that deserve death?
I was invited to contribute to this website because it tries to address the unique issues of incarcerated women. I advise all of you out there to seriously vote for individuals who champion prison reform.”
A Eulogy to Tracy Qutero, rest in peace
We have received several emails and tear-stained handwritten letters about the inmate who died on Tuesday on Santa Cruz. We let her friends speak.
” Tracy was one of my best friends. She had been in a car accident prior to coming to Perryville, and was in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, the meds you get on the outside, are not allowed on the inside. I had to leave her on Cruz, as I transferred to Carlos unit 6 months ago. She hugged me hard, and started to cry that she couldn’t go on much longer. Her physical and mental pain was too much. Medical had taken her off most of her medication, and she was in bad shape. I blame the prison, because they just didn’t help her.”
Another was writing a letter, and was interrupted by screaming.” Oh my God! Oh my God! All I hear is screaming. I went outside and heard the girls yelling ‘Tracy hung herself’! The paramedics are here and they are working so hard to save her. They are using the paddles…..now they are trying CPR on her. They stop and punch her in the chest, then do more compressions….more paddles. They are taking her away in the ambulance still doing CPR. I know she is already dead. Her roommate found her hanging, but it was too late.
Tracy’s bunkie said that Medical took her off ALL her meds 3 weeks ago….God, she couldn’t take the pain anymore. D.W. Chui is holding the roommate as she sobs all over him. The Sgt. is hysterical and crying….everyone is so upset. I can’t believe this is happening. I feel so bad for her family.”
And we here on this website extend our condolences. If you knew Tracy, or someone like her, please use our message board to post your feelings.
Mental Health Crisis in Perryville
We have unfortunately learned of another suicide on Santa Cruz yesterday. Visits are the life blood of every inmate, and being cut off from the warm embrace of family is heartbreaking.
The DOC resists every effort by mental health professionals to install more therapy for the inmates. A woman sits in a sterile, colorless environment, with no touching allowed. She is all alone in her mind, and sometimes they just snap from the pressure.
There is no suicide hotline there.
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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.