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.
Lumley: Another Tragic Death In Perryville
We’ve been working on this story for a week. Last Friday we first heard of an alleged suicide on Lumley, D yard. As usual, we did our due diligence tracking down witnesses and getting collaboration.
There is something new in the air at Perryville….. suspicion and secrecy. Our usually talkative sources have been very closed-mouthed about this one. We did get first-hand witnesses to conversations between staff about the event, and scored one witness that had been working on Lumley at the time.
Reportedly, an inmate had been complaining to Medical about not getting her psych meds renewed on time. She allegedly went to medical that day begging for her prescription, and was told “The pharmacy hasn’t given it to us yet.” According to the source, this lady was found hanging in her room at about 11:15 am and was unresponsive. The coroner’s van reportedly arrived a few hours later.
We’ve also checked our media folks and THEY didn’t know about this one either, but they reported the other Perryville deaths. What’s going on? If true, this would add to Thornell’s embarrassment over female mortality in his prison.
Rumor has it, that staff have been told to shut up and not talk to anyone about Naphcare or inmate deaths.
Reuters: Naphcare had the highest DEATH RATE of inmates!
Reutors News published a report that reviewed 500 jails and prisons and found that Naphcare had the highest death rate among healthcare contractors. The runners-up in the death march were Corizon, Wellpath, and PrimeCare.
Despite this dismal performance, AZDOC awarded Naphcare a 1.4 billion dollar contract in 2022, representing a 74% increase in what they were paying Centurion.
The Arizona Republic revealed a cozy relationship with Larry Gann, the then Director of Medical Services for the DOC. Larry testified in Federal court that he worked for Naphcare as Director of Nursing in 2006, and then worked for them for the next nine years, becoming vice-president in 2015. Cozy indeed.
We have often wondered why some inmates are rushed to the hospital via ambulance, while others are transported by DOC van in a much slower process. In a Prison Legal News article, we think we found the answer. In contracts with other prisons, Naphcare received $1,000 in monthly bonuses if they ordered no more than 15 ambulance trips. Another $1,000 bonus was paid if there were under 30 referrals to off-site physicians in a month.
David Fathi of ACLU Washington, DC said, “It’s hard to imagine a more blatant and inappropriate disincentive to provide care than a financial penalty.”
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.
Judge Silver to AZDOC: “See you in court!”
Federal Judge Roslyn Silver has finally lost patience with the DOC. She's taking them to trial over their continued non-compliance with Parson v. Ryan, a class action suit started in 2012. If the DOC can't defend their decision to turn over the health care of inmates...
Parole Officers Pull Overtime Duty at Perryville to Keep it Running
In a desperate move to keep yards open, and not locked down due to the staff shortage, the DOC is offering overtime pay to parole officers. They've tried everything from bonuses to hiring teenagers, and this is the latest effort. A guard can now make more money...
What Perryville Has in Common with Florida Condo Disaster
Thanks to all the structural engineers on CNN, we now know what to call the crumbling concrete in Peaville..... spalling. Spalling starts when the concrete is exposed to wet conditions repeatedly, and the rebar that gives the concrete stability rusts. The rust causes...
10 Ambulances in 24 Hours at Peaville!
We've had multiple reports from families and staff, about the brutal heat emergencies in the women's prison. A staff member at Lumley Unit said three 911 calls were issued in two hours! A woman allegedly broke her ankle on one of the yards, trying to fix swamp...
More Older Women and Longer Sentences – AZDOC winning the wrong competitions
Women in AZ spend far longer in prison than women nationally. These additional months and years are not making Arizona safer. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that longer sentences do not make people less likely to commit a crime in the future. Recidivism is...
Diabetics in Danger for Their Health on Lumley
Due to DW Bendel's rules about 'escorting' women everywhere, we have letters from diabetics warning of serious consequences to their health. Even in the midst of a critical staff shortage, Bendel insists on a guard to go with the women everywhere. Diabetics must be...
The AZ Legislature Gave Women Prisoners Tampons
Thanks to the 'Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act,' women will now be guaranteed a decent supply of feminine hygiene products. The new law also bans the shackling of pregnant women and allows new mothers 72 hours time with their newborns after birth. In a more...
Arizona Imprisons Women at Twice the Rate of Other States
This does not reflect women committing more crime, it is the result of the Republican driven legislative policies for 1st time and nonviolent offenses. Today, women make up 10% of the Arizona's prison population, compared to 7% in other states. Additionally, the...
DW Bendel voted worst in Perryville!
Boy, have we got letters on this dude....and not just from inmates...his staff hate him too. Bendel is the only DW continuing the draconian 'escorting' of inmates everywhere they go. Santa Cruz and Santa Maria, the other medium custody units, have discontinued the...
DOC screws up again!
Can these clowns do anything right? This April the DOC said they were ready to resume executions, and spent $1.5 million for the drugs to carry them out. Authorities now admit they were wrong about how long these lethal cocktails would last. Arizona's Attorney...
Don’t let the DOC execute your women this way!
These assholes can't do anything correctly. Read the whole story in Arizona Republic newspaper, 6-7-21.---Ed. Lawyers for death row inmates found documents showing the DOC purchased the wrong kind of gas chamber chemicals. They bought potassium cyanide instead of...
Staff: ‘Prison not following protocol when women are maced
A staff member that works regularly at LDU (detention unit), alleges that 3 women came in this month that were covered in mace, and not washed off after being restrained at their respective units. He says policy requires that the woman is washed off in the shower...
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