Yesterday afternoon a federal court approved a settlement in a suit against state-run prisons’ health care and excessive and improper use of solitary confinement (which oftentimes resulted in deaths that could have been prevented) on behalf of more than 33,000 inmates. The hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the decision was out by 6 p.m.
“Today’s settlement will save lives, bringing drastic improvements to a prison system where the sick grew sicker and even died due to insufficient medical attention. At last, the Arizona Department of Corrections will provide its prisoners with adequate medical, mental health, and dental care. This is what the Constitution and our consciences demand,” said David Fathi, the director of the ACLU’s National Prison Project.
The terms of the settlement were drafted last October by the ACLU, ACLU of Arizona and the Prison Law Office and the corrections department.
Now that it’s been OKed, the state corrections department is required to meet more than 100 health care performance measures, including monitoring prisoners with diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions, caring for pregnant prisoners, as well as providing dental care, according to the ACLU of Arizona.
Prisoners with serious mental illness have to get a minimum of 19 hours per week outside their cell, rather than the previous six hours a week, and mental health treatment and other programs are a requirement.
There will be ongoing monitoring and oversight by the prisoners’ lawyer to make sure the state is following through with the settlement.
The lawsuit was filed back in 2012, but it wasn’t until last summer that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the inmates could proceed with it.
Read the settlement here.
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2015.
Prisoners are getting pregnant? Have they added a baby wing?
Good. Treating them like animals doesn’t help recidivism.
As to the above comment, you know there is a gestation period of 9 months – they can get pregnant before they get in (or get raped by a guard).
And to the writter. “Gonna”???? Really?
It’s about time!
We just want to make sure they are comfortable and healthy while they are being punished for breaking our laws. That way once they are out, they will know that even if they are convicted again, we will ensure that they won’t have to fear their punishment! Heaven forbid that prison feel uncomfortable.
Ray is an idiot offenders are human beings most offend because the way they were raised.Not to mention the the ones that just made a mistake in life.let a good guy like Raymond go to prison for hurting someone that hurt his daughter(hypothetical)go to jail for a year or so then need medical care and not receive it.Bet his whole outlook on life will change.I hate it when ignorant people speak without understanding what’s really going on in prisons today.if his kid were there I bet he would still want good medical care then,plus I bet he would still love his child no matter what he or she did wrong.