You haven’t seen any new postings in a long time, and probably wondered what was going on. I’ll tell you. True transparency…. this Editor is actually a 75-year-old inmate, first time offender, who has served 16 out of a 18-year sentence in Perryville.
It was my idea years ago to start a blog dedicated solely to the women inmates of the AZ prison system. I roped in my best friend of 63 years to be the webmaster. What am I most proud of? The networking of journalists, the media, and the ACLU, to accomplish positive change for all women living here. We helped facilitate, in our small way, The Dignity For Women Act, abolishment of forced labor at 40 weeks of pregnancy, and making the public aware that no air conditioning existed in the 120-degree heat for most women living here. If it wasn’t for the MEDIA we wouldn’t have SHIT.
Central Office and each Director never did anything to improve the lives of our women. The Republican legislature and the DOC never wanted the public to know what really went on behind the walls. I wanted to shine a big spotlight on it and speak truth to power. This whole venture was cathartic for me too….posting these true stories let out much of the stress I took in every day.
Recently, I noticed that my stories were the same, except the names had changed. How many different ways could I write about another needless death from substandard health care? How many stories of mental, sexual, spiritual, physical abuse examples could I list? For as long as I thought I was making a difference, it was all worth it. I don’t feel like it is anymore. As long as Arizona remains a red state, the punitive nature of incarceration will remain. Cruelty is so intrinsic and pervasive throughout the fabric of the DOC, that it will take years before positive change will happen.
I will post from time to time until my release date (2027), but only major news. We are waiting for the results of the next hearing by Judge Silver, to see if we go into Receivership or not….July 18th.
Thank you for reading this blog through the years, and thanks for your feedback.
Taffy (The Editor)
Kerry (The Webmaster)
Unfortunately, we have a Democrat governor and nothing changed under her either. Let’s face it, ADCRR is a money grabbing operation. Prisoners will never see a change until the money stops flowing to the crooks that run the prison.