THIS BLOG is NOW RETIRED

I began this blog in May 2009 following the death of Marcia Powell at Perryville State Prison in Goodyear, Arizona. It is not intended to prescribe the path that leads to freedom from the prison industrial complex.

Rather, these are just my observations in arguably the most racist, fascist, militaristic state in the nation at a critical time in history for a number of intersecting liberation movements. From Indigenous resistance to genocidal practices, to the fight over laws like SB1070 and the ban on Ethnic Studies, Arizona is at the center of many battles for human rights, and thus the struggle for prison abolition as well - for none are free until all are. I retired the blog in APRIL 2013.

Visit me now at Arizona Prison Watch or Survivors of Prison Violence-AZ

David Rovics: We Are Everywhere

To my fellow activists now struggling through life - let this be a reminder that you are not alone and that we desperately need you here. All the injustice, grief, war, and human suffering calls for us to stay and do everything we can about it - you can't help us anymore when you're gone. Don't give up the fight - your last shred of hope may just keep someone else alive, too.
BLOG POSTS

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Perryville prisoner suicide: March 2011.

SOS DOJ: CRIPA AZ.
Sandra Day O'Connor Federal Court House.
November 14, 2010.


***UPDATED March 31, 2011 at: http://arizonaprisonwatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/deaths-in-custody-susan-lopez-adc.html



Another prisoner hung herself out at Perryville last Friday. The department has yet to put up the notice that she even died, for some reason, so I'll wait for them to release her name. I'm guessing they're either still notifying next-of-kin or trying to do some kind of damage control. A lot of people have been Googling her name and poking around my site for news of her, though, so I hope the state puts out the information soon. Once they do, I'll post the notice and fill in the blanks with what little I've been told; it was another case of people just not listening to the distress of prisoners.

I hope the ADC has learned that they need to do critical incident debriefing with affected prisoners or there'll be another suicide out there within a short time; their policies just suggest that they offer counseling to prisoners who ask for it; staff get the debriefing. There have been at least two suicides in the past seven months that were precipitated by another prisoner killing themselves on the same yard: Lasasha Cherry was preceded by Geshell Fernandez at Perryville/Lumley, and Duron Cunningham killed himself at Florence/Central just a week after Rosario Rodriguez-Bojorquez. Both might have been prevented by an intervention after the first suicide.

Just so folks know, if you have a loved one who has killed themselves or been murdered in Arizona's prisons, the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of it happening to the next person's loved one is to hold the state responsible in civil court. Sue them. Survivors must file a notice of claim within six months to take action in state court; don't wait until the last minute.

Contact me at 480-580-6807 if you need help finding an attorney.
Posted by Margaret Jean Plews at 1:37 AM
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8 comments:

  1. I. Have a loveed one in perryville. And I fear for her every day. Not from the inmates but from the guards. Just because there in prison there still humans who have rights. And just because the guards are in charge doesn't make them God they don't have the right to do what they want there people just like the inmates. I fear for the safty of everyone in there and I hope things will change but unfortunately I don't see things happening anytime soon ..
    Jason R......

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  2. Perryville officers are racist punks.No one should waste time with discusting officers like Perryville officers.

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  3. Peryvile officers are lazy,racist,sexual harrasment dogs.They show no damn respect for anybody.jcobb

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  4. Perryville has got some sorry ass officers.They sit in CDU making them damn racial slurs. Who in the hell needs them.jcobb

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  5. Perryville officers are sick in there damn heads
    they have problems with sexual harrassment,racism
    racialslurs,lazy,and rude.These criminals we call correction officers cant be trusted with each other.If it was a slave trade perryville prison would be the head.

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  6. Perryville officers laugh when prisoners die.They use racial slurs,they are physically abusive,they cant be trusted among themselves, they are lazy,they sexually harrass people and very unfair.Jcobb

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  7. Perryville officers use racial slurs.Officer Angel,Landreneau, and officer Brawn are racial slur officers.Honored by the Deputy Warden os perryville prison.

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  8. Officer Angel, Landreneau,Brawn and Jaminez are officers that use racial slurs on inmates and officers.the department corrections gave these officers honors for this reason.

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