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



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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Martin's Brilliant Idea: More Militarization, Tent Cities - at our expense.

Don't any of these people have original or creative ideas? All they can think of is spending more money on more guns, sending more kids into battle of some kind. How much like New Orleans does this sound, considering all the people that are still dying in the desert trying to cross? Send the Guard to rescue people for once, not to chase them down to arrest or kill them.

This guy is our State Treasurer, as they note below. That alone should tell you something.

----------------------------------from the Arizona Republic------------------

Ariz. gubernatorial candidate calls for statewide tent city for migrants

  Jun. 8, 2010 10:29 AM
Associated Press

State treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Dean Martin is calling for the immediate deployment of National Guard troops to the border at Arizona's expense.

He's also calling for a statewide "tent city" jail modeled after Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail in Maricopa County to house arrested illegal immigrants at low cost.

Martin made the announcement in a press conference Tuesday announcing his border security plan. He's challenging Gov. Jan Brewer in the Republican primary.

Martin slammed Brewer for balking at deploying troops at state expense and said she's only recently started paying attention to the border "when she started doing election-year polling.
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