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."
“Waiting for a hysterectomy in prison”
Letter from a patient.
“I have been waiting for a hysterectomy for 3 years in Perryville. I have endured almost continual bleeding for that long. The DOC’s for-profit health insurance will try anything to get out of paying for that surgery. At first, they denied the surgery, then they shot me up with Depo and fertility drugs, then they ignored me. A hemorrhage on my bunk they couldn’t ignore. As I write this, Aug 28th, they say I’ll have my surgery in 4 weeks. Wish me luck.”.
This is not an isolated story, we get many letters just like this one.
The Mental Health Toll of COVID and Quarantines
With our women currently held in lock-down since March, their access to communication with the outside world has been severely restricted. Add the additional 14 day quarantine of only an hour a day recreation, you have a mental health disaster that has not been documented enough.
We have read some written comments from the inmates, and some interviews that paint a picture of helplessness, agitation, and fear. As one woman prisoner wrote, “We are separated from our families that have been the social anchor people rely on.”
An example that we were made aware of, was a young lady in a dorm-style setting that would go into the ADA bathroom and talk to herself for hours. A woman guard did ask her if she was alright, but after no answer from the inmate went about her rounds. The next day the inmate announced she was going “to the palace” and ran out the door. This resulted in her being tackled by 4 big men, handcuffed, and strapped to a gurney. We asked a former guard about that and he said that situation is viewed as a “security threat” not a mental health crisis.
This is the same on the outside too, calling a cop to a mental health issue that he has absolutely NO training for, often with tragic results. Perryville’s solution to mental breakdowns is strip then naked, put them in a rubber suit, in a cell with nothing but a toilet. A guard is stationed outside the door to make sure she doesn’t harm herself. Allegedly, mental health counselors are called.
This is treatment? We asked a health professional about incidents if mental breakdowns during this crisis, and she confided the ladies that are putting in HNRs requesting counseling has gone up 100%.
Filthy and Crowded with No Soap in the Bathroom
Dateline: San Carlos Medical 8-18-29.
Pill call and temp checks were called at the same time today. The inside of the lobby was PACKED with inmates trying to get medication and temp checks, all at the same time. Only 3 women were wearing masks.
It was absolute chaos complete with shoving and shouting, the little female officer was lost in the shuffle, and could not be heard above the din.
With all the emphasis on handwashing and sanitation, you’d think the medical bathroom would be a model for that. The floor was a mess, no paper towels, and NO SOAP or toilet paper! I’ve seen more sanitary latrines in a 3d world country.
The silver lining?
Two health professionals impressed me, let’s give some applause to RNs Villaverde and Brown who give excellent care to the Carlos women.
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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.