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Governor uncommitted to funding fix of prison problems
Gov. Doug Ducey won't commit to ask the Legislature for all the dollars his departing head of the state prison system says are necessary to deal with the "critical public safety crisis.''
Departing corrections boss calls for pay increase to address prison crisis
In his parting words before retirement, the director of Arizona’s prisons gave a dire warning to the governor about the crisis felt at prisons across the state.
Inmates: Court should take control of health care in prisons
Inmates have asked a federal judge to take over health care operations in all state-run prisons in Arizona and appoint an official to run medical and mental health services due to the state's repeated failure to improve the care.
Laetitia Hua: Lawyer, criminal justice advocate and beauty queen
A recent panel on prison conditions featured two state representatives, an adviser to Gov. Doug Ducey, a pair of former prisoners, the director of inmate programs at the Arizona Department of Corrections – and a beauty queen.
Corrections director Charles Ryan announces retirement
Charles Ryan, the embattled longtime director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, is retiring amid calls for his ouster.
Blackman relaunches effort to release prisoners early
A 2020 legislative effort to expand early release opportunities for prisoners kicked off Monday morning with exhortations from advocates to think beyond incremental steps and warnings from the Arizona Department of Corrections that it doesn’t have the budget or staff to handle big changes.
State to move cautiously on resuming executions
Mark Brnovich may want Arizona to resume the execution of its death row inmates, but a spokesman for the attorney general said whether that occurs is up to the executive branch.
Brnovich urges Ducey to start executions again in Arizona
Now that the federal government plans to resume capital punishment, Arizona should as well, according to Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
Lawmakers OK new Lewis prison cell door locks
The Arizona Department of Corrections received approval Tuesday to start the first phase of a nearly $46 million plan to replace cell door locks, fire alarms and air conditioning at two state prisons.
Arizona asks judge to hold off on fines in inmate care case
The state of Arizona wants a judge to hold off on her threat to order $1.6 million in additional contempt-of-court fines against the state for failing to adequately follow through on its promises to improve health care for its 33,000 prisoners.
Broken locks whistleblower claims retaliation
When Arizona Correctional Sergeant Gabriela Contreras first downloaded videos of inmates leaving their cells due to broken locks, the whistleblower lost a weeks worth of pay and a potential promotion.
Arizona prisons ban book on black men in the justice system
The American Civil Liberties Union called on the Arizona Department of Corrections this week to rescind the ban on "Chokehold: Policing Black Men." The book by Paul Butler, a former federal prosecutor, examines law enforcement and mass incarceration through its treatment of African American men.
