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."
GOOD NEWS, Perryville resident gets multi million dollar settlement!
(We love these stories. Very seldom does the lowly inmate get what she deserves, so this was pure vindication)
Robin found out yesterday from the Court, that she had been awarded 6 million dollars from her medical lawsuit in compensatory and monetary damages. This elderly woman took on the DOC, and two for-profit medical vendors, in a lawsuit ALL BY HERSELF. No help from anyone. Robin had taken a paralegal course and bought books on civil law. From that humble beginning…..she slayed dragons! She started the process in November of 2021.
We have written about her medical tribulations before, but to give new readers a quick synopsis, we’ll review. Provider April McEwen gave Robin the wrong shot….it was meant for someone else. There was an immediate catastrophic reaction, that eventually resulted in compromised lymph nodes, infections in bones, cervical, and nerves. She still suffers from extreme pain and cranial swelling and she is wheelchair bound. Robin will have to endure six surgeries to improve her health, but Dr. Ibriham (at one time the medical director at Perryville) told her to wait for those surgeries until she leaves prison because “The staff is too incompetent to care for you after these complicated procedures.”
After Robin leaves prison behind, she plans to start an advocate group called “Perryville Lives Matter Too”. She will use her medical compensation to improve the lives of the incarcerated.
Pregnant Women Starved and Neglected in Perryville!
(Editorial note: To the Pro-Life Republicans in this (still) red state. If you really value the unborn and support young mothers, then why do you let incarcerated women be hungry, and neglect their medical needs? These are three women telling the same story.)
“I’m hungry all the time, but especially on the weekends when we only get two meals…breakfast at 7 am and dinner at 6 pm. Dinner takes even longer to get a meal because diets eat last, so I have to wait till after 7 pm. Pregnant people are supposed to get 3 extra milks, one peanut butter sandwich, and a small egg or chicken salad per day, IN ADDITION to a regular meal. It never works out that way. The white shirts and kitchen officers are mean to us. Sometimes we don’t get the egg salad, and if we complain they say, ” I’ll give it to you this time but if you bother me again I’ll write you up.” Or for breakfast, we don’t get our extra milk and they say, “You got one, go away.” Consistently, one or more of our ‘extra’ food is missing.
If we have to go to a mandatory program and miss more than 5 meals in a week, they cut us out of our pregnancy food entirely! If it wasn’t for the kindness of strangers…my fellow inmates, we’d starve. As it is, my belly feels empty all the time.
I’ve never been to prison before and had no idea the meals were so skimpy. For a typical breakfast tray during the week, all I get is 5 potato pieces, a handful of cereal, and milk. What comes out of that kitchen is disgusting.”
(Ed. None of these 3 ladies has received an ultrasound, prenatal vitamins, or seen the OB/Gyn, and they’ve been here approximately two months. One of the girls is especially worried because she has a heart condition that makes her a high-risk pregnancy, and another is stressed about being given a drug called Suboxone, which might lead to serious birth defects.)
Carlos Medical Gives NO Pain Meds to Cancer Patient!
(She wrote us this letter and begged to have her real name in the story. Ed.)
“My name is Robin Leigh Kulp. I am housed at Perryville prison, San Carlos unit. On 3-25-24 I was having trouble breathing, and having serious chest pain. My legs were throbbing, aching, and burning. An ICS was called as I was unresponsive to medical staff. Nurse Arnott administered Narcan to me, and then Nurse Jones gave me another dose of Narcan. These nurses were aware I had been given morphine earlier.
I was admitted to Abrazo West Hospital and sent to ICU because my oxygen level was only 33%. There I was put on a Narcan drip because Carlos medical staff had failed to provide the hospital with my records. Narcan and morphine can be a deadly combination. Dr. Jordyne at the hospital immediately stopped the Narcan drip when he found out I was on morphine.
The doctor released me three days later and changed my medication to Percocet and gabapentin instead of morphine. The providers here are not specialists in cancer treatment, nor apparently, pain management. Carlos providers are not giving me ANY pain medication, or ANY of the medication prescribed by real off-site doctors.
I live in constant pain from nerve damage in my legs, my feet are turning purple, my chest hurts, and I can’t sleep. Will they just let me die like this?”
One Woman Taken To Hospital While 7 Others Go Into Seizures
Dateline: San Carlos. Mid-morning an elderly woman fell out of her bunk, face first, and unresponsive. An ambulance and firetruck arrived at the gate to take the stricken inmate to the hospital. The guards emptied out C bay and made them stay near the basketball...
Largest Unit in Arizona Prison System Operates Frequently with ONE Medical Provider!
Communication, predominantly from family members, describe their daughter's canceled doctor appointments at San Carlos. They allege that last week the inmate's Provider called in to say she would not be in. According to the family, the Provider said it would be...
Coming Attractions
(My webmaster was on a well-deserved holiday. Now that she is back the Editor can announce this website's next big story. We are covering the ELDERLY in prison. I'm going to call it "The cAGEing of Women in Perryville". This is a sneak peak of two stories that will be...
More Misery For The Aged And Infirm On Carlos
We've heard many reports from the elderly, cancer patients, and crippled that the new administration at Carlos took away their extra mattress that was authorized by medical. Why punish the already punished??!! The elderly and infirm already suffer from horrible...
CORIZON declares bankruptcy–what this means to Perryville residents
(This is based on Jimmy Jenkins' 2-19-23 article in the Arizona Republic on this subject. Jimmy explains in detail the "Texas two-step" where laws in Texas allowed Corizon to split into two corporations and put their debt payments on hold. This leaves malpractice...
Naphcare Error Endangered a Woman’s Life
(Story in her own words) On January 27th I underwent 3 skin cancer surgeries at Regency Dermatology. After the surgeon sewed up the last wound, he admonished me to "Be SURE to take your antibiotics starting tonight when you return to prison." When I arrived back at...
*IPC: The Journey From Hell and Back* (Diary of an actual patient)
2-1-23 After the surgeon from Regency Dermatology abraded and drained my cheek wound, PA Johnson condemned me to IPC for monitoring. Exhausted and in severe pain, I took a Tylonol 3 and passed out. 2-2 PA Shields came to change my dressing and start an IV. I worry...
DIVINE INTERVENTION? How I got moved from C Bay
February 1st 2023/ It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. This morning an Angel was pushing my wheelchair toward Yard Office....she leaned into my ear and said, "Your long nightmare on Charley bay is over." I was pushed into the Movement Officer's...
PLN Front-page/ “Arizona prison healthcare ‘grossly inadequate’ and ‘Deliberately indifferent to prisoners serious harm’
Go online, or consult the print issue of Prison Legal News, December 2022 edition. This is an excellent summary of the complex problems surrounding Jensen v. Shinn. Will the media onslaught of negative press finally make a dent in this draconian prison system? There's...
READ THIS- Prisoners Induced Against Their Will!
1-4-23 front page above the fold, by Jimmy Jenkins, Arizona Republic newspaper. This excellent, heartbreaking article written by Jimmy, exposes the dark underbelly of DOC cruelty toward women. This blog is proud to have facilitated, in a small way, in bringing this...
Naphcare NOT paying medical bills ruin inmates’ credit!
The prison's for-profit health provider is not paying the inmate's bills so unpaid bills are sent to the inmates themselves. Some uneducated families don't know the prison is responsible for all medical care. They think they have to pay bills for MRI scans, ambulance...
Why the Proliferation of Lower GI Problems in Perryville?
The women here are experiencing severe constipation, bloating, and nausea. The nurses have said the majority of HNR's are about these problems. I'm not talking a brief bout with constipation, but months of agony and pain in the lower intestines. Today a young lady...
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.