Arizona Prison Watch (retired): AZ Department of Corrections standards for health services.

Retiring Arizona Prison Watch...

This site was originally started in July 2009 as an independent endeavor to monitor conditions in Arizona's criminal justice system, as well as offer some critical analysis of the prison industrial complex from a prison abolitionist/anarchist's perspective. It was begun in the aftermath of the death of Marcia Powell, a 48 year old AZ state prisoner who was left in an outdoor cage in the desert sun for over four hours while on a 10-minute suicide watch. That was at ASPC-Perryville, in Goodyear, AZ, in May 2009.

Marcia, a seriously mentally ill woman with a meth habit sentenced to the minimum mandatory 27 months in prison for prostitution was already deemed by society as disposable. She was therefore easily ignored by numerous prison officers as she pleaded for water and relief from the sun for four hours. She was ultimately found collapsed in her own feces, with second degree burns on her body, her organs failing, and her body exceeding the 108 degrees the thermometer would record. 16 officers and staff were disciplined for her death, but no one was ever prosecuted for her homicide. Her story is here.

Marcia's death and this blog compelled me to work for the next 5 1/2 years to document and challenge the prison industrial complex in AZ, most specifically as manifested in the Arizona Department of Corrections. I corresponded with over 1,000 prisoners in that time, as well as many of their loved ones, offering all what resources I could find for fighting the AZ DOC themselves - most regarding their health or matters of personal safety.

I also began to work with the survivors of prison violence, as I often heard from the loved ones of the dead, and learned their stories. During that time I memorialized the Ghosts of Jan Brewer - state prisoners under her regime who were lost to neglect, suicide or violence - across the city's sidewalks in large chalk murals. Some of that art is here.

In November 2014 I left Phoenix abruptly to care for my family. By early 2015 I was no longer keeping up this blog site, save occasional posts about a young prisoner in solitary confinement in Arpaio's jail, Jessie B.

I'm deeply grateful to the prisoners who educated, confided in, and encouraged me throughout the years I did this work. My life has been made all the more rich and meaningful by their engagement.

I've linked to some posts about advocating for state prisoner health and safety to the right, as well as other resources for families and friends. If you are in need of additional assistance fighting the prison industrial complex in Arizona - or if you care to offer some aid to the cause - please contact the Phoenix Anarchist Black Cross at PO Box 7241 / Tempe, AZ 85281. collective@phoenixabc.org

until all are free -

MARGARET J PLEWS (June 1, 2015)
arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com

Monday, May 17, 2010

AZ Department of Corrections standards for health services.

The actual RFP to privatize our health care in the prisons has been out awhile, but it's way too big and cumbersome to post, so here's the link. The links immediately below are pretty interesting: they go to all the standards, rules, and guidelines that providers will have to follow if they get the contract. That seemed like pretty handy information, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to find it again, so here you go. These are the laws the ADC is supposed to follow when providing health care directly, too...

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STATE OF ARIZONA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER 100017DC

In response to State of Arizona, Laws 2009, Third Special Session, Chapter 6 (FY 2010 Criminal Justice Reconciliation Bill), the State of Arizona is seeking proposals from qualified providers for the privatization of all correctional health services, including all medical and dental services that are provided in all state owned and operated Arizona Department of Corrections facilities. The State of Arizona is looking to the private sector to apply sound, managed care principles to a correctional health services delivery system for all offenders who are committed to the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections.

The Arizona Department of Corrections has provided this website containing critical reference material including, but not limited to, Department policies and other information to assist the offeror in preparing a through and realistic response to this solicitation. References are made throughout the solicitation to material that can be found on this website. Offerors are responsible for reviewing the contents of the information on this website as if they were printed in full herein. All such information is incorporated into the contract by reference.

Please note that Arizona Department of Corrections Manuals, Arizona Department of Corrections Department Orders, and Exhibits are subject to change without prior notice. Any of these reference material identified below that has been modified will be noted with a revision date.

Federal

§ Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U. S. C. §1320d-8) http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/

§ The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/corrections/prison-rape/prea.htm

Arizona Statutes

§ Arizona Revised Statutes http://www.azleg.gov/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp

§ Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 12, Chapter 13, Article 7.1 http://www.azleg.gov/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=12

§ Arizona Revised Statute 13-1419 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/01419.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statutes Section 31-201.01 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/31/00201-01.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 31-226 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/31/00226.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statutes Section 31-471 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/31/00471.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statutes Section 31-491 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/31/00491.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 32-1471 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01471.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 36-501 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00501.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 36-550 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00550.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 36-2904(G)(1)http://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/02904.htm

§ Arizona Revised Statute Section 36-3702 http://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/03702.htm

Arizona State Legislature

§ State of Arizona, Laws 2009, Third Special Session, Chapter 6 (FY 2010 Criminal Justice Reconciliation Bill), Section 26, parts B, C, and D http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/3s/laws/0006.htm

Arizona Board of Nursing

§ Arizona Nurse Practice Act http://www.azbn.gov/NursePracticeAct.aspx

American Nursing Association

§ American Nurses Association Principles on Safe Staffing

http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/WhatisSafeStaffing/SafeStaffingPrinciples.aspx

NCCHC

§ NCCHC Standards for Health Services in Prisons http://www.ncchc.org/resources/2008_standards/intro.html

§ NCCHC Standards for Mental Health Services in Correctional Facilities http://www.ncchc.org/pubs/catalog.html#MH_standards

Arizona Department of Corrections Manuals

§ Arizona Department of Corrections Diet Reference Manual

§ Arizona Department of Corrections Objective Classification: Custody and Internal Risk Technical Manual - revised 04/03/2010

§ Dental Technical Manual