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."
From the 5-6-2020 Town Hall
5-6-20: Reportedly from inmates that attended a Town Hall meeting, 65+ women will get no special treatment. All chronic care individuals will be “screened” regularly for “symptoms”. Covid-19 tests allegedly on site and will be “administered as deemed appropriate”. As to the issue of officers and inmates transferring from unit to unit, “we TRY to keep it at a minimum”.
Now for my reaction to this. Apparently COVID-19 tests haven’t been “deemed appropriate” in any significant way. According to ADCRR’s own COVID-19 Dashboard, there have been only 2 tests administered in the entire prison! As for screening chronic care individuals … is taking someone’s temperature really screening for symptoms? And if it is, I find it really hard to believe that only 2 women in Perryville have had a fever in the past several weeks (fever being one of the primary early diagnostic indicators for possible COVID_19 infection.)
Update 5/5/2020:
We hear that two more inmates from the COVID-19 exposed San Pedro unit were transferred to San Carlos A Bay yesterday. Both of those inmates indicated that they finished only 12 days of the 14-day quarantine before being moved into this vulnerable population. Many of the residents in San Carlos A Bay are older than 65 and have health conditions that leave them especially at risk for the infection. They are understandably upset. There are high levels of fear, angst, and worry. We’ve heard at least one inmate say that she fully expects to fall victim to the virus, and doesn’t expect to survive it.
And this – direct from one of those inmates:
“An elderly, nonsmoker’s shopping day at San Carlos –
Whew! Back from 4 hours inundated with 2nd hand smoke (IN the non-smoking section), and subjected to no social distancing, for the entire morning. My eyes sting, I’ve used my inhaler 8 times, and I got a work out dodging all the youngster’s coughing. I’m in my 70’s and I’ve got to lay down. My friend in the same Bay (age 73, wheelchair-bound), is having heart palpitations from HER shopping trip. San Carlos makes no allowances for the elderly, our most vulnerable in this crisis. The Keefe man now arbitrarily announces which part of the alphabet he is shopping. We used to know what letters they were shopping because the box outside the store said S–Z, or A–F. etc. Now, the Keefe man, on a whim, decides which letters to shop IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. That is why the elderly spend 4 hours up front in the heat and smoke. The D.O.C. knows our ages, why not have a designated shopping time for 65+. We could all be done in 60 minutes, no pain no strain. DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT US?”
Why is the Governer going to test people 65+ in nursing homes, but not people 65+ in AZ prisons? CH 12 just reported 77% of all COVID-19 deaths were in that age range.
Update 5-4-2020: Here we go!
Remember we mentioned in the last update that inmates from San Pedro, where 2 staffers have (supposedly) been diagnosed with COVID-19, were transferred out of the unit just 2 days after it was announced that no transfers would happen?
Well…5 days later two eyewitnesses report that one of those transferred inmates reported to medical with a handful of all-too-familiar symptoms: fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing, loss of sense of taste and smell among them. The sick inmate was hustled off, probably to Santa Maria, which is where the quarantine is set up. The staff returned and sprayed down the area with bleach.
We’ve been told that the inmate’s stuff has been removed from her unit, but her cubicle was not sanitized. The older population (affectionately known as “the geezers”) is understandably paranoid about their long-term prospects for survival. It was worrying before. Now it’s downright terrifying.
Interestingly but not surprising, the AZDOC stats are still showing 1 inmate tested and 1 inmate diagnosed. Maybe it will be updated by the time you check, but I’m not betting on it: ADCRR COVID-19 Dashboard
There has been a small change to the procedures when inmates are taken off-site for doctor’s appointments. They are given masks to wear while out, (but are not allowed to keep them.) They get their temperature taken upon return to the prison. By the standards the rest of us are being encouraged to follow this is pretty weak.
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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.
Hi Cynthia! I’m not sure if you’ll see this but I am so sorry for what you went through. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your story. I would love to ask you questions as I am exploring ideas for my doctoral capstone and am interested in issues in the AZ Women’s Prison. Is there any way we could talk further?
That was my friend 😭 she was cool ag and funny. I feel bad I had to leave San Carlos for Cruz. But fck their medical center, the whole prison is fucked up and corrupted. I’ve been out for 8 months now and I still remember everything like yesterday especially with health care. Like can the prison do an upgrade and fix their shit or will more ppl have to die like my friend here? It’s fucked up because I knew she was having a hard time in the beginning getting her shots. We both came from the same county. She wasn’t even a criminal like person. She was fun, bright and very smart, like she could’ve went to college. She had alot planned for herself…damn I love Jowell thank for the laughs and being a loyal friend. Rest in Paradise
Yeah, she was a very cool person to know. She would hug you when she saw you with a big smile. She was always cool to everyone, no hate or anger in her heart but she probably did towards ADOC health employees
I was incarcerated for 9 years and just released March 2024. In 2019, my stomach swelled up and I looked 9 months pregnant. They told me I had impacted stool and had me drink a laxative. The pain got worse, I couldn’t breath or walk and this went on for 2 months. My family contacted the ACLU and prison and finally in February 2020 I was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian cancer. I was in the hospital for 10 days and started chemo. I went back to the prison and was expecting chemo every 3 weeks. It took over a 3 weeks for me to get scheduled for my next chemo. In May, I had just came back from chemo and was told I was packing up and being sent to San Carlos. I had to load and unload all of my belongings after a day of chemo and was being transferred to a yard with 1300 women. I then had surgery to remove the cancer in July and once released from the hospital was sent to Maria and put in a cell, by myself with no A/C. I had to move everything by myself and carry a chair out to take a shower. I had an incision from belly button to my pubic bone. Finally after 2 weeks, I was sent back to Carlos. I was told later that I had peritoneal cancer and not ovarian, after I had had a complete hysterectomy. I never had a follow up PET scan to make sure the cancer was gone. In March of 2023, I started seeing a new oncologist, Dr. Benjamin and he finally ordered a PET scan and saw that I had cancer again in the same area of my stomach. I had surgery again in May and started six rounds of chemo. Between the medical Dr’s John and Johnson my medical treatment at the prison was horrible. They didn’t give me anything but Tylenol and Excedrin for the pain and I had to fight to get an extra mattress and extra milk for protein shakes. If I didn’t have my family to support me and stand up for me I would have died. I applied for clemency 2 times and because I wasn’t dying in 3 months, I was refused. Something needs to change with the health system and prison.