Arizona Prisons

Republic, KJZZ investigation examines how prison labor works
After 15 months of gathering and analyzing more than 11,000 documents and building a computer program that downloaded tens of thousands of public profiles about prisoners that the Arizona Department of Corrections refused to provide, reporters at the Arizona Republic and KJZZ News found that prison labor has become ubiquitous across the state.
More Arizona prison news
prison cell
A judge presiding over a nearly 12-year-old lawsuit challenging the quality of health care in Arizona’s prisons is considering whether to launch a third contempt-of-court proceeding.
Mar. 15, 2024
Dozens of kids throw basketballs in the air at the sports camp event put on by Prison Fellowship.
Dozens of kids took to the court Saturday at the gym of Central Christian Church in Mesa. The Christian nonprofit Prison Fellowship put on a free sports camp for children of incarcerated parents.
Mar. 9, 2024
Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan
Sentencing of the former state Corrections director over an armed standoff with police at his Tempe home has been postponed. His next hearing is scheduled for early February
Jan. 11, 2024
Inmate is led into Pima County Jail
Pima County officials are asking for public input as they weigh adding a new county jail. The Adult Detention Center Blue Ribbon Commission came to fruition to research the need to build or renovate the county jail.
Dec. 29, 2023
arizona prison cell
Members of a special panel appointed by Gov. Katie Hobbs to look at the state prison system say they can’t do the job she asked them to do: provide and meaningful oversight of the $1.1 billion operation where about 35,000 people are locked up.
Dec. 27, 2023
handcuffs
People in Pima County who have a misdemeanor warrant out for their arrest may qualify for relief.
Dec. 21, 2023
Barry Jones
In 1995, a jury said that Barry Jones abused, sexually assaulted and killed a 4-year-old girl. He spent more than 10,000 days on death row waiting to be executed while maintaining his innocence. Jones was released this year and has returned to Tucson where his son is helping Jones build a new life.
Dec. 20, 2023
prison cell
His case, which also claims state negligence, stems from a short window created by the Legislature for people to pursue legal action after turning 30 years old.
Dec. 8, 2023
Man in grey suit speaks
A federal inmate was charged Friday with attempted murder in the prison stabbing of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.
Dec. 1, 2023
prison cell
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry is closing a prison in Marana at the end of the year and ending its contract with the private contractor that operated the facility.
Nov. 30, 2023
Arizona Department of Corrections headquarters
The Arizona Department of Corrections violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department of Justice said Thursday that the state agency has agreed to adopt systemwide reforms.
Nov. 17, 2023
arizona prison cell
In an effort to meet a federal judge's orders to improve care for nearly 25,000 inmates in state-run prisons, Arizona’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee signed off on a spending boost.
Nov. 13, 2023
prison cells at Arizona State Prison Complex
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry took a step on Thursday towards increasing inmate health care rates to comply with a court order.
Nov. 9, 2023
inmates stand together in orange jumpsuits
The first group of eight female inmates at the Arizona state prison in Perryville has completed a programming course through Arizona State University. It’s part of a bigger program focused on teaching skills to women in prison that can serve them in the job market upon their release.
Oct. 27, 2023
migrants fill out job applications
The state departments of Corrections and Economic Security have organized a job and housing fair for Thursday.
Oct. 4, 2023
Arizona Department of Corrections building
Federal investigators say Arizona’s prison system illegally discriminates against inmates who are blind or partially sighted. The state Corrections director said his administration first learned of the federal review that went on for more than two years about two weeks ago.
Jul. 20, 2023
Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan
The settlement conference was supposed to take place Monday, but is now set for July 13. The move comes after attorneys on both sides said they want to look at additional evidence.
Jun. 19, 2023
Barry Jones
A man who’s been on death row since the 1990s should soon be free after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in Pima County Superior Court on Thursday. The murder conviction of Barry Jones was thrown out in 2018 by a federal judge but then the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated it last year.
Jun. 15, 2023
Rachel Mitchell
Maricopa County’s top prosecutor spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since KJZZ News first reported plea deal negotiations are underway with a former state prisons director. Charles Ryan faces felony gun charges stemming from a standoff last year at his Tempe home.
Jun. 14, 2023
Corrections Director Ryan Thornell
A Senate panel voted Tuesday to recommend confirmation of a new head of the state prison system after he assured them his agency is ready to again start executing inmates on death row.
Jun. 6, 2023

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