Infrastructure Nightmares
Introduction to this Topic by the Editor
I need to give you a little background on Perryville so this will be more understandable. This prison was built in the early
Explaining the Shower Picture
This is an accurate sketch of a real shower in “B” yard, Santa Cruz unit. Do you see the loose wires hanging in the lower door jamb? I was told they were “live” because this shower light is still on. I won’t test this theory! I’ve tried to portray all the standing water in front of those wires. All the shower units have standing water because the drains are all plugged.
Standing water = black mold we see everywhere
When inmates complained about the condition of this shower, they just took off the door and left it open. In the shower next to this one (not pictured) is the same filth.
The regulators (hot and cold) will not engage so moving the handle from Hot to Cold does nothing. The temperature the DOC sets is what you get. In the winter the water is cold and in the summer, it’s hot. The water pressure would increase dramatically if they would soak the shower heads in Lime-aWay to remove 50 years of accumulated minerals.
A light at the end of a dark tunnel?
Ever so slightly, and slowly, at a snail’s pace, does the DOC change for the better. We had to double-check this story to make sure it was true. Some enlightened individual started a Perryville Focus Group to “drive positive change, discuss ideas to improve life in Perryville.” There has only been one meeting, but look what they’ve come up with so far: Family reunification program, Senior activity center, ASU lounge, Reentry skills for long-term residents, Culinary program, Cosmology certificate program, grow our own veggie greenhouse. This appears to be a diverse group of ladies with new and innovative ideas. We hope this idea gains traction and their great ideas are implemented!
ACLU coming to Perryville before Judge Silver’s big decision
The ACLU always gets its ducks in a row before going to court. In the long-running Jensen v Thornell lawsuit this is especially important. Judge Silver announced she would render a major decision in the case toward the end of August.
Lawyers for the ACLU will be interviewing patients and reviewing medical records, to prove to the Court how life-threatening it can be to reside in an Arizona prison. Families and inmates have written us with terrifying stories of medical malpractice and deliberate indifference, which we have forwarded to the ACLU.
This time, we hope Judge Silver does the right thing and puts the whole prison system under receivership!
Cruz: Global warming to another level
Our whole staff is about to get out of Arizona for a summer vacation, but we need to file this story first.
Last year Channel 12 shook Thornell awake and made him realize, a) His officers lie about the cell temperature numbers, b) It gets up to 109 in those concrete coffins they make women live in, c) The money for air conditioning was misappropriated (stolen) years ago.
This year Channel 15 is taking up the gauntlet and focusing on Perryville women’s blistering heat. Thornell cheaped out this year though. Last year each woman on Cruz got a Keefe 7lb bag of ice every day plus an ice cooler. This year they get one “scoop” of ice twice a day, most of which melts before they get home.
This year they have two holes in their wall OPEN to the outside, because the contractors were unable to finish the project. Now they have added heat plus dust. Can you readers imagine what that unmitigated heat is doing to the elderly, disabled, cancer patients, and the pregnant?!!
We treat strays in animal shelters better than this!
Is DOC Bipolar?
Santa Maria unit has had conflicting news about its fate for months now. A prison runs on rumors, but all reports point to an entity that has no clue about what's going on. Recently, in one day, there were 3 different announcements regarding the closing of Maria and...
Trinity’s BAIT and SWITCH
The Keefe/Trinity Corp has found yet another way to scalp inmates of their precious few dollars. Not happy with a complete monopoly on food that inmates have no choice but to consume, but they want MORE money for their "restaurant meals". Billed as restaurant quality,...
Chucky Ryan gets special treatment from Tempe police
(Arizona's Republic star reporter, Jimmy Jenkins, has kept up on this story.) When most folks point a gun at police, they're either shot or booked in jail. That's not what happens when you're the former Department of Corrections Director.... he gets handled with kid...
Lumley Unit
300 women ask to leave Lumley: Like lemmings to the sea, these gals fought to get out of Lumley. The opportunity arose when the COIV asked for volunteers to transfer to another Unit, like Santa Cruz. This COIV was inundated and overwhelmed with requests! This should...
DOC BANS COLORING BOOKS!
Really? I almost don't know what to say about this one. Of course, we did due diligence trying to find an answer from the prison as to WHY. And we received the usual reply....silence, or shrug, or I dunno. Coloring is a well-known stress reliever, many inmates come to...
Prison Budget Hits New Record!
The Governor is asking for more than $1.5 BILLION for Arizona's prisons, and the final request will be even more than that, because it does not factor in prison health care, running more than $200 Million annually. Big-ticket infrastructure items include $42 million...
Taliban Bendel Continues to Make Women’s Life Miserable
We received so many emails and letters from Lumley Unit, we're going to split it up into short, individual, stories. #1. "I thought this new dude, Deputy Warden Bendel, would make his draconian rules temporary. Rules like being escorted everywhere by a staff member....
The first week of Parsons v. Ryan trial
(This story by Jimmy Jenkins in conjunction with The Marshall Project. Get updates on the trial through The Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter) This trial pits Arizona DOC against its prisoners, who argue that the medical services they receive are so poor, they...
Your Blood Never Lies
I have always been skeptical of how much "stress" affects one's health. Well, I'm a believer now. I have empirical evidence of my own blood lab work. If you read the articles about how bad Lumley Unit treats its residents, you can understand the major STRESS the women...
Chucky Cheese Ryan was Drinking Before Police Standoff
The man who made so many women miserable in Perryville for 10 long years, is in legal trouble himself. The former Director of the AZDOC was drinking heavily the night he discharged a pistol in his bathroom. Ryan's wife told police her husband drank half a large bottle...
Quick summary of Jensen v. Shinn trial
(For gavel to gavel coverage, see Jimmy Jenkins reporting for the Arizona Republic.) Psychologists, wardens, medical workers, and the prisoners themselves, testified for a month in this health care trial. On the last day of the trial, the court heard from Centurion's...
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...
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