Kathy Ritchie likes to talk about things that make most people uncomfortable — like menopause.
Arizona Prisons
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.
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→ More Arizona prison news
In a new ProPublica piece, reporter Nicole Santa Cruz writes about the influence of political insider Steve Twist in keeping certain criminal justice reforms from being enacted in Arizona.
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Apr. 13, 2022
A 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling says only rare and irredeemable juvenile offenders should serve their life sentence. Riley Briones Jr. was convicted nearly 30 years ago.
Apr. 11, 2022
A new book by Chris Fabricant, director of the Innocence Project, sheds light on what he calls the broken, racist justice system in our country. It’s called, "Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System."
Apr. 7, 2022
The Arizona Supreme Court issued an execution warrant for a death-row prisoner in what would be the state’s first use of the death penalty in nearly eight years.
Apr. 5, 2022
Arizona’s inaugural Healthy Forest Initiative crew begins work on Monday. The initiative, which was passed last year, created a prison labor team to clean up dry foliage that may spark wildfires.
Apr. 3, 2022
Arizona Humanities has announced the awarding of over $75,000 dollars in grants to nearly a dozen organizations in the state.
Mar. 13, 2022
After an armed standoff at his home, charges were filed against former Arizona Department of Corrections director Charles Ryan. But he was never booked into jail, prompting concerns over special treatment.
Feb. 3, 2022
Lawyers challenging the quality of health care in Arizona's prisons say corrections officials don’t have the capacity to improve staffing problems that have put incarcerated people with medical and mental health issues at risk of harm.
Feb. 1, 2022
State court officials say hundreds of jailed people have virtually attended their sentencing hearings by using a cart with a laptop, signature pad, fingerprint reader and printer.
Jan. 27, 2022
As the omicron variant continues to drive up case numbers in the state, Maricopa County’s jails are also experiencing a spike that’s exacerbated by a staffing shortage they’ve been experiencing for some time.
Jan. 26, 2022
The facility has had to deny those arrested for some misdemeanors as it tries to provide enough space for quarantine.
Jan. 14, 2022
Over the course of 2021, the KJZZ News a wide range of stories. As 2022 approaches, here's a look back at the five most-viewed stories on KJZZ.org.
Dec. 9, 2021
A recent investigation by the Arizona Republic has found that training materials and documents used by state Department of Corrections personnel includes imagery that is militaristic and similar to graphics used by gangs and white supremacy organizations.
Oct. 13, 2021
Authorities say a man suspected of gravely injuring metro Phoenix sheriff’s deputy Juan Miguel Ruiz has been shot and wounded by a homeowner with whom he had a history of conflicts. Sheriff’s officials said the suspect was hospitalized, while the deputy was on life support, but is not expected to survive.
Oct. 11, 2021
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled recently that state child-welfare officials have a constitutional duty to offer reunification services, such as visitation between parent and child, to prisoners serving long sentences.
Oct. 9, 2021
Last week, Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission unveiled the first real step in determining what the state’s congressional and legislative districts will look like beginning in 2022. But one question that still remains is how to count incarcerated people.
Sep. 21, 2021
Attorneys for the Arizona Department of Corrections are going to appeal an order that would put health care in state prisons on trial.
Aug. 17, 2021
One year after private prison companies made record high contributions to Arizona lawmakers, the Legislature voted to increase the state’s investment in private prison beds. The new private prison beds will likely be more expensive than those in state-run facilities.
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→ More Arizona Prison News
Jul. 29, 2021
Two years ago, an ABC15 investigation showed video inside the Lewis State Prison in Arizona that rocked the Arizona Department of Corrections. Dave Biscobing has gotten a hold of more leaked video, this time from the Florence State Prison, that shows officers being held against their will.
Jul. 20, 2021
The Arizona attorney general is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse decisions from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in two death penalty cases.
Jul. 19, 2021
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