January 1, 2021, approximately 8:30 am women on A yard were locked down amid a flurry of staff activity. Shortly, an ambulance and firetruck were parked outside A yard. The inmates watching outside their windows knew it was bad news when the paramedics slowly left the yard without a patient inside. Warden Ron Lee arrived about an hour later to be on the scene. A psych staff person was dispatched to counsel the inmates, telling them a woman had passed away. This is all we have as of 10:21 am.

More details on deceased Lumley inmate
The woman pronounced dead on A yard New Year’s day, allegedly had recent heart trouble just 10 days prior. The victim, who was 64 years old, had *coded* at Lumley medical last week, after complaining about chest pain. Medical DID call 911 and the paramedics revived her, but she refused to go to the hospital with them. People that knew her reported that she was scared of catching Covid at the hospital. Witnesses describe the sad scene where her body was loaded in the Coroner’s wagon and driven out through the gates.

Our readers who have been in Perryville know about this shameful fact. There is a large population of 65+ ladies in prison due to Arizona’s draconian sentencing laws. Here is a letter we received recently from a 71-year-old at Lumley Unit.

“I was initially transferred by accident to Closed Custody B-yard. I was immediately accosted by 3 inmates, armed with spray bottles. All they made off with was a blanket, and I was not physically harmed. 48 hours later I was assigned to C-yard with medium custody inmates.

The girl who was to be my roommate did not want me there…at all. She was expecting her “wife” and did not want to give up her lower bunk. This gal made her displeasure known by blowing smoke in my face to cause an asthma attack, yell and spit on me, and threatened me with physical harm.

At last, the guards took me to another cell, but I was a nervous wreck. Welcome to the Lumley unit! But it gets worse. Because I have medical reasons to be in an air-conditioned cell, they moved me to A yard. At first, Z seemed like a nice young lady. Then she told me things that you wouldn’t tell a stranger, like “I’ve lived in mental hospitals for years.” “I beat a former bunkie so bad she had to go to the hospital.” Z started to compile a list of reasons as to why she didn’t want to live with me anymore. “You snore, you here too much, you can’t clean floor, it like living in an old folk home, you stink like medication.”

I watched her go to the movement officer so many times to be moved, that they finally told her to stop. Her agitation increased and she began to take out her frustration on the furniture. I wasn’t concerned as I was twice her size and thought my elderly status would protect me. Wrong! Z was doing laundry in the sink when I asked to use the bathroom. She turned away and I sat down on the toilet. Then without warning, she put both hands around my neck and choked the livin’ daylights out of me! I had never been attacked in my life. In one movement I ran, yelled for help, and pulled my shorts up. I think I broke the land speed record for a 71-year-old in flip flops.

I wondered later why I didn’t fight back, but it just didn’t occur to me. All I could think of was getting away and finding a cop.”

We, at this website will continue to share these stories with you.

Messages share with us that we have permission to share with you

“My friend just informed me that the past 2 days there has been no heat in her cell. It’s 36 degrees outside and the metal doors suck any and all heat out of the rooms. the prison refuses to issue extra blankets. She is on Santa Cruz. This is so inhumane”

“The horrible thing is, when they built this facility, they purposely faced all the metal doors to face southwest so the sun would hit them at the hottest part of the day. The cells are at least 10 to 20° higher in summer and they suck all the heat out in the winter. So inhumane. I saw a woman suffer to death because the guard refused medical treatment for her on San Pedro. Which is a medical yard. My cell had no light for 2 months in the winter. We sent several kites for a lightbulb to no avail They sent me to SACRC IN TUCSON because of my complaints. SACRC was so much better. It was a blessing to go there for me. But it has closed. In Perryville, you basically live outdoors in the elements it’s so run down. And that was 10 years ago.”