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
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
barbed wire at an arizona prison
Derek Chauvin was stabbed nearly two dozen times in the law library at a federal prison in Arizona. Larry Nassar was knifed repeatedly in his cell at a federal penitentiary in Florida.
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
msco logo
The inmate convicted of killing Maricopa County detention Officer Gene Lee has been sentenced to 33 years in prison. Daniel Davitt was in county jail, having been convicted of multiple sex crimes, when he attacked Lee in October of 2019.
Jun. 4, 2023
arizona prison cell
Research links both current and past incarceration to declines in mental health, and deinstitutionalization means people with mental illness often end up imprisoned. Yet a new study shows many states provide only sparse data regarding suicides behind prison walls — in violation of federal law.
May. 31, 2023
Paul Penzone
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone has spoken out publicly several times this year as reports of overdoses and deaths in the county jails have racked up and footage of inmates being wheeled out of jails on gurneys has hit the news.
May. 4, 2023
Fronteras Desk logo
A government watchdog advisory released at the end of April finds persistent safety issues with federally run detention centers on tribal land.
May. 2, 2023
barbed wire at an arizona prison
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday launched the first meeting of the independent prison oversight commission that she created by executive order in January.
Apr. 29, 2023
Arizona Supreme Court building
The state Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty against a man convicted in the 1995 murder of University of Arizona Professor Roy Johnson.
Apr. 17, 2023

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