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."
The cAGEing of Perryville
Recently, we heard from an elderly inmate, and this is her letter about fellow aging women in prison.
“I hadn’t been back to Cruz unit in over 3 years. Cruz is where they store most of the aging population in medium custody. Women in their 60s and 70s all know each other because no one else will look out for us….but us!
I had spent most of that 3 years in Carlos and Maria units, so it was a real shock to come back to Cruz again. I didn’t recognize most of my buddies. They all used canes or wheelchairs, their hair had turned white, or they were in IPC, SNU, or the hospital. A stunning number of them had cancer.
At 72 I felt like the last one standing. Indeed, I had just finished my morning jog. What had happened while I had been away? Is the water or food causing cancer? Or is it the horrible medical care?
That will never be investigated, so we’ll never know. “
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 are subjected to. I lived, (survived) 13 months on Taliban Bendel’s Lumley. It was sincerely the worst 13 months of my life. Two blood tests were performed during that period.
I recently compared that to the blood tests taken after I was liberated and transferred to Maria Unit. You’d think they were drawn from two different people! I used the Merck manual and a Lab Corp interpretation manual, to contrast and compare the results. Roughly 60% of the scores on the Lumley tests were either too low or high and not in the normal range. In ALL of the scores that were out, the manuals said stress was a factor. My lab work done on Maria showed a healthy person with blood scores all in the normal range!
Yep, I’m a believer.
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 vice-president, Tom Dolan. Dolan said he advised prison officials that Centurion needed to increase staffing by 15%, and the prison did nothing. For this failure, many prisoners died preventable deaths for not getting basic medical and mental health care.
Despite YEARS of failing to live up to court-ordered standards, repeated fines, and sanctions totaling millions of dollars, Director Shinn got on the stand and had the nerve to say, “Prisoners often have greater access to care than I do as a private citizen.”. He said that under oath believe it or not! Shinn admitted that health care costs had doubled for the DOC since the privatization of services more than a decade ago. He also described the difficulties of providing prison health care as, “Almost like a battlefield.”
The ruling by Judge Silver might not take place until March
Prison nurse told to falsify report
(Read Jimmy Jenkins complete article in the Arizona Republic) This RN with 30 years experience, worked predominantly in the DOC Alhambra unit which serves as intake for men's prisons. In this instance in 2020, Nurse Bordan was asked to document a return from off-site...
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...
AZDOC has NOT told their pregnant inmates about the ‘Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act’
Families of pregnant women have told us that there has been no postings or any dissemination of information about the Act. These expectant mothers need to know they will no longer be shackled or restrained in any way. And after birth, they will be allowed to bond with...
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...
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...
Nightmare on Shingles Street
(This is a true story by one of our favorite reporters on Lumley---Ed.) "At age 71, I take chest pain seriously. On Monday morning I told the guards I was experiencing severe chest pain. I was transferred to medical via wheelchair immediately. The nurse hooked me up...
DOC fined another $1 million dollars for lack of compliance in prison medical care
(From a story in AZ Republic newspaper 2-26-21) Judge Roslyn Silver found the DOC in contempt for failing to comply with the Order issued May 2019. This time the state will pay 1.1 million in 14 days. Parsons v Ryan is the lawsuit that claimed inadequate medical,...
Incidents of self-harm skyrocket in AZ prisons
The mental health of inmates in Arizona is deteriorating at an alarming rate. It seems like suicide is neck and neck with COVID to see who wins. The Arizona Republic quoted KJZZ's article about self-harm in prison, reporting an increase of 360% more cases this year!!...
Lumley, the ass end of Peeville
I'm starting the HALL OF SHAME for guards who refuse to wear masks here. L. Garcia, lets start with you. This guard went his entire shift with no mask! There will be more. Today started with my morning jog as usual. I'm as deaf as a post, but I could hear a loud...
More medical nightmares
Dateline Cruz: I was diagnosed with back injury and anklosing spondilitis. I resisted the spinal shots they wanted to give me, but I was in 24 hour unrelenting pain. The first shot went ok but did not give me pain relief. The 2nd almost killed me. When the doctor put...
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.