Arizona Wimmin's Prison Lack Proper Shelter from Elements, Medical and Supplies

This prison is a mess and should be condemned. Here are some of the things that are going on:

1. Our cells are steel and brick. The heat this winter is being turned on from 9 p.m. - 6 a.m. Temperatures have been high of 50 and lows of 30. The warden, Ms. Frigo, stated to the officers “Tell them to put on their jackets and blankets. I don’t care how cold it is.” In the summer when temperatures are 115, we only have swamp coolers and swamp coolers don’t work over 90 and the rooms are 90.

2. Last year in the winter, there was a power outage and after a couple days they brought in backup generators. The 36 yard wasn’t even given extra blankets for the cold.

3. The power went out one day this summer during lockdown and the officers wouldn’t open the doors to let air into the rooms and the temperatures were over a 100.

4. I put in an HNR (medical request) for back and knee pain in June 2015. After 7 HNR requests, I was finally seen 6 months later in December. The health care is horrible here. Check to see how many women have died here in the last 2 years because of improper health care. Women have complained of chest pain and other issues and are sent back to their cell and told there is nothing wrong, to drink water and take an aspirin.

5. Improper nutrition - we get milk 3-4 times a week, and no real fresh fruit because everything is canned. We have been fed molded bread, eggs are a treat, we get a hot breakfast, hot lunch, and cold sandwiches for dinner.

6. Indigent people are not given sweats, thermals or long sleeve shirts or hats in the winter. No shorts in the summer. People purchase clothing that can’t be taken out of the prison when released but we aren’t allowed to give them to the indigent people. Why do we need to purchase clothing in prison or be without?

7. We sleep on steel beds with a 2-inch mattress and no pillows, unless you have money to buy a real pillow during a fundraiser.

8. There are black widows and brown recluse spiders, bugs and ants in the rooms. I reported that we had an ant infestation in our room to the Sergeant and Lieutenant and was told there’s nothing that they can do and have to wait for an exterminator. When the exterminator came they only sprayed the kitchen and officer box and did not go into the rooms. We have put grease and pepper in the window to keep out the ants.

9. In the town hall meetings the Deputy Warden continues to state there is no money for anything. We use bed sheets for shower curtains. There is mold in the showers.

10. We are given 1 roll of toilet paper a week, and if you need more you have to buy your own from the store.

11. Jobs pay $0.10 - $0.50. We also pay $100 towards a gate fee that we receive upon release, $2/mo to utilities, 1% is taken out of money sent from our families and from our pay, to pay for the building fund.

12. In the summer 2015 the temperature was over 100, the water pipes busted on the 34 yard so they had no water and all that we have are swamp coolers. So for 2 days there was no cool air. They brought in 1 porta-a-potty for over 200 women to use in the yard. There was no coolers, no showers, no sinks and no toilets.

13. No rehabilitation. We are told there is not enough money for programs. There are no incentives for people to do better.

14. Another time in the summer of 2015 the temperature was way over 100 and the power went out because of a storm. There were no backup generators so we had to sleep with the doors open all night. Inmates slept on the floor just to get air. Power was finally restored around 2-3 a.m.

15. We are given 1 pack of sanitary pads once a month and they limit what we purchase in hygienes.

16. There are signs around the prison that say “don’t drink water”.

17. There is a woman on 34 yard who was bleeding for months and she kept putting in HNRs and was continuously told there was nothing wrong. Finally 8 months later she was sent to a specialist and told she had cervical cancer that was so far progressed all they could do was put her on chemo and radiation to slow it down. She was told her time is limited and she’s going to die.