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."
Woman:”I’m in a wheelchair forever, thanks to DOC’s medical vendors’ neglect and malpractice “
M.J.’s medical nightmare began July 22, 2021. She woke up with no balance and her right leg dragging. M.J. immediately called an ICS and was seen by Provider Johnson. He diagnosed it as neuropathy without ordering an MRI or XRAY. Later that week she fell and hit her head. No wheelchair or walker was ordered to stabilize her unsteady gait.
Finally, after more mishaps and 6 months later, MJ got her MRI. The scan showed spinal cord bruising, that if not treated immediately would cause paralysis. An appointment for a neurologist was allegedly made, but 8 months later she still hadn’t been seen by one.
When her family inquired as to why, they were told it was because the DOC had made a transition from Corizon to Naphcare….and it fell between the cracks. A year and 3 months since her diagnosis, she is driven to Tucson in the Spring of 2023 for another MRI before surgery. On June 23d she finally gets her operation, but she reports no follow-up or aftercare.
Even though intensive physical therapy was ordered 3Xs per week, she only received 7 appointments total of PT. On December 7th she received the grim news from the neurologist: The bruising of the spinal cord is permanent and she will be forever wheelchair bound.
Elderly Diabetic With Sepsis Forced On Her Knees
A woman in her 70s was told to get on her knees and CRAWL FULLY CHAINED into a van to go to the hospital.
This all started with a spider bite on the woman’s stomach. When you have diabetes, any wound can become easily infected. The lady did go to medical when she got the bite, but all they did for her was give her hydrocortisone cream. It became infected and 5 days later. Even medical staff decided she should go to the hospital. It’s how she got there is the problem.
This is how she told us the story: “While I was in the medical building the 2 guards put me in full chains, legs, arms, belly chain…the works. I’m a minimum custody inmate, still within the prison yard, and normally I use a walker. When I got up to the van, I noticed they didn’t have a step (per policy) so I asked for one. The male guard snarled, ” We don’t have it get in now!” There was no way I could raise my leg in shackles so they told me to kneel on the van step. It took both guards to drag me to seat level, then they just shoved me sideways onto the seat. I was in unrelenting pain.”
Woman Left in Agony for Hours at San Carlos
An Air Force veteran we featured before, had another severe injury to her previously broken leg. Her knee and ankle were left hideously swollen just before 11 am count. CO Lara was informed immediately, but she asked the inmate if she could wait until count had cleared.
Unfortunately, during count, San Carlos had 3 ICS’s and our Vet hadn’t been seen by medical yet for, she claims, 2 hours. Finally, Lt. Cole stops by and the Vet is wheeled to medical. Allegedly, Lt. Cole tells her that an ICS is a “life or death situation, and hers doesn’t qualify.”
The Vet is a good soldier but she is crying because of the pain. The Head Nurse makes an assessment looking at the grotesquely swollen knee, and orders her to x-ray at Complex. After waiting in the medical hall for 3 hours, she is informed that no one is available to take her there! The Vet ends up back at the Bay for the night.
The next day our veteran is ordered to the V gate for the trip to Complex. Perryville only has one working wheelchair van, but it’s in use somewhere. The Vet has to refuse because without a wheelchair van, she’d be forced to CRAWL into the regular van. Been there, done that and she won’t do it again. A refusal means no x-ray….she hopes nothing is broken
RATS at Perryville Complex Kitchen!!
Several Complex (where all inmate food is prepared) kitchen workers recently posted this news: " During my shift yesterday, (9/25/20) we were removing pallets of bread and discovered 3 cases had been eaten by rats. As we entered the storage area, I saw two Trinity...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
Snippets Overheard
Nurse Tony said to nurse Pennington, "Well, we better hurry with pill call or we'll be on that Perryville women blog!". Yes, ladies, my ears are everywhere:-)-----------------------------Lumley emptied out 2 wings in closed custody, to accommodate COVID inmates at...
Shortcuts in Medical?
Getting needed medication when you're in prison isn't an easy process at the best of times. You have to report to pill call at a specific time. You line up with everyone else needing to get their meds, standing outside in the weather. Rain? Stand in line. Heat? Stand...
The DOC is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
We are in touch with some members of the Directors COVID Task Force. They gather information about how things are working on the units. This committee finds additional measures to keep inmates safe. Here are the core items on their list. Let's go through them and...
Why aren’t inmates getting tested as promised by Governor?
NYT: This is the list of side-by-side comparison of countries and states of COVID positively rates-Bahrain, Oman, Qatar....and then Arizona. The Times pointed out that those countries have a large number of migrant workers who live in cramped quarters, with sub-par...
San Carlos Conducts Inspection with Dirty Gloves
In the middle of a pandemic, officers refused to change gloves between inspecting and handling each inmate's property and linens. After touching 54 other beds/cubbies in 'A' Bay an officer said "I'm not going to change gloves, it's hot and sweaty.". He put his...
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.