Prisoner Patrick Lee Ross' tragic death: more to the story

Last week on Arizona Prison Watch I posted a press release from the Arizona Department of Corrections about the suicide of a young prisoner named Patrick Ross. This morning I found that someone who knew and loved him had left a comment following that post. It suggested that there was more to the story, so I went to the Phoenix New Times to check the comments section there. Indeed, his loved one posted there, too, elaborating even more on Patrick's struggles and articulating his own sense of rage and loss.

The kid was apparently dying already, and not getting the medical care he needed - nor, do I suspect, was he about to get a compassionate release out of our governor, especially with an armed robbery conviction and more than 12 more years to serve. I doubt he was really sent to Oklahoma for "better" medical care - they probably just figured they could warehouse him more cheaply there and let Cornell take the heat from the family when he died. The judge who sentenced him - probably to the mandatory minimum, because of his prior conviction - was either oblivious to the realities of incarceration and compassionate release, or he knowingly gave the family false hopes by relaying their willingness to be his caregiver to the ADC as if it might ever happen. I can't imagine he didn't know that kid would never see freedom again.

Since Patrick's story in that comment would just be lost in the archives of the New Times, I'm reposting it here, in full, with the crass article that precipitated it. I'm a survivor of suicide myself, and am particularly sensitive to what these folks must be going through - callous remarks from people who know nothing about the person who died are only hurtful to those left behind to make sense of it all.

Anyway, I think it's important for the community to know the side of the story that would otherwise be buried with Patrick and his family's grief. If anyone out there who knew him wants to send me an obituary or write something about his struggles in prison with his illness specifically for this site, contact me at arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com

First, the Phx New Times article, then the comment.

Wishing you peace and freedom for the rest of your journey, Patrick.

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Arizona Inmate Housed in Oklahoma Prison Dead in Apparent Suicide

By James King, Wed., Sep. 1 2010 @ 11:33AM

An Arizona prison inmate, being housed in a private prison in Hinton, Oklahoma, is dead after apparently taking the easy way out, rather than completing his sentence.

Officials at the Arizona Department of Corrections tell New Times inmate Patrick Ross was found dead in his cell around 7:50 a.m. yesterday.

Responding Medical teams tried to revive Ross but were unsuccessful.

DOC officials wouldn't say how Ross killed himself only saying he died "after apparently committing suicide."

Ross was serving a 13-year sentence -- at a private prison run by Cornell Companies -- for an armed robbery he committed in Maricopa County.

Ross began his sentence in December 2009 and ended it -- apparently on his own terms -- yesterday.

DOC is investigating the death.

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Shawn Humphreys (comment added September 6, 2010)

Suicide, my ass suicide. PATRICK ross was an incredible human being, with a sad story and a debilitating disease that was taking over his life. His family was told he was being moved to Oklahoma so that he could get better treatment for Huntington's Chorea. He was supposed to get released into his grandmothers care in Wa. state when his symptoms worsened and the prison could no longer take care of him, as she is trained in caring for people with this disease. This is obviously another case where they, being the prison system, has failed to help a inmate who was sick and trying to turn their life around. So what do they do? Cover their asses by saying it was a suicide. FUCKED! IN LOVING MEMORY PATRICK LEE ROSS YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED WE LOVE YOU