Court won’t order execution of Gunches
What started as Aaron Gunches' wish for his own execution has slowly swirled into a loaded political microcosm, pulling top state officials, multiple Corrections administrations and justice groups into its orbit.
Hobbs establishes prison oversight commission to recommend reforms
Gov. Katie Hobbs is calling for a top-to-bottom review of the Arizona prison system, where inmates and their families have complained about a wide range of issues and a federal judge recently found medical care to be “plainly grossly inadequate.” The governor issued an executive order on Wednesday establishing an “independent prison oversight commission” to review problems in the prison sy[...]
Arizona hires new directors for corrections, public safety
Arizona has new directors for its Department of Corrections and Department of Public Safety.
Ducey says state law, not pope, dictates his action on death penalty
Gov. Doug Ducey said he will obey Arizona law and not Pope Francis, who has now declared that the death penalty is unacceptable in all cases.
Judge orders corrections director to testify following combative email
Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan will testify in federal court tomorrow about an email he sent to his staff questioning a judge’s order.
Corrections chief to allow witnesses to view execution procedure
Witnesses to the June 27 execution of Samuel Lopez will be allowed to watch as the executioner inserts intravenous lines that will carry the lethal drug to Lopez's body.
Court warns Arizona about execution protocol
A federal appeals court panel on Tuesday issued a strong warning to Arizona officials who have continuously violated and changed their own written protocol for executing state death-row inmates.
Court records say executioner, Corrections director disregarded lethal injections procedures
Doses of three chemicals injected into Jeffrey Landrigan on Oct. 26, 2010, had done the job in executing him, but there was a set of unused, filled syringes left over.
DOC extends bidding timeframe, works to complete neglected cost-study
The Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC) has extended for a month the bidding timeframe for private prisons that would house 5,000 inmates as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ponders whether to shut down the process.
Cost-benefit study of prisons late, but state going ahead with 5,000 more private beds
The Department of Corrections has long been out of compliance with a law requiring the director to complete a cost-benefit analysis comparing private and state-run prisons every two years.
DOC Director Charles Ryan, who took over the job in January 2009, said he started working on his analysis a few months ago.
But House Minority Leader Chad Campbell insists that’s not [...]