Retiring Arizona Prison Watch...


This site was originally started in July 2009 as an independent endeavor to monitor conditions in Arizona's criminal justice system, as well as offer some critical analysis of the prison industrial complex from a prison abolitionist/anarchist's perspective. It was begun in the aftermath of the death of Marcia Powell, a 48 year old AZ state prisoner who was left in an outdoor cage in the desert sun for over four hours while on a 10-minute suicide watch. That was at ASPC-Perryville, in Goodyear, AZ, in May 2009.

Marcia, a seriously mentally ill woman with a meth habit sentenced to the minimum mandatory 27 months in prison for prostitution was already deemed by society as disposable. She was therefore easily ignored by numerous prison officers as she pleaded for water and relief from the sun for four hours. She was ultimately found collapsed in her own feces, with second degree burns on her body, her organs failing, and her body exceeding the 108 degrees the thermometer would record. 16 officers and staff were disciplined for her death, but no one was ever prosecuted for her homicide. Her story is here.

Marcia's death and this blog compelled me to work for the next 5 1/2 years to document and challenge the prison industrial complex in AZ, most specifically as manifested in the Arizona Department of Corrections. I corresponded with over 1,000 prisoners in that time, as well as many of their loved ones, offering all what resources I could find for fighting the AZ DOC themselves - most regarding their health or matters of personal safety.

I also began to work with the survivors of prison violence, as I often heard from the loved ones of the dead, and learned their stories. During that time I memorialized the Ghosts of Jan Brewer - state prisoners under her regime who were lost to neglect, suicide or violence - across the city's sidewalks in large chalk murals. Some of that art is here.

In November 2014 I left Phoenix abruptly to care for my family. By early 2015 I was no longer keeping up this blog site, save occasional posts about a young prisoner in solitary confinement in Arpaio's jail, Jessie B.

I'm deeply grateful to the prisoners who educated, confided in, and encouraged me throughout the years I did this work. My life has been made all the more rich and meaningful by their engagement.

I've linked to some posts about advocating for state prisoner health and safety to the right, as well as other resources for families and friends. If you are in need of additional assistance fighting the prison industrial complex in Arizona - or if you care to offer some aid to the cause - please contact the Phoenix Anarchist Black Cross at PO Box 7241 / Tempe, AZ 85281. collective@phoenixabc.org

until all are free -

MARGARET J PLEWS (June 1, 2015)
arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com



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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Arpaio Protest. Nov 30, Cronkite.

From Matt at the Phoenix Immigrant Rights List-serve:
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The event starts at 7pm, but it would be a good idea to get there by 6:30.  It's in the Cronkite building (which is off of Central just east of Civic Space Park).  Public transit would be the best way to get there.  Here's the link to the event - http://cronkite.asu.edu/node/722


http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=168288939142&index=1

Date:
Monday, November 30, 2009
Time:
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location:
ASU Downtown

For the second time in 2009, Joe Arpaio has been invited to speak at the ASU campus.

Arpaio targets and violates the human rights of the Native and Latino communities.. We are students who come from those communities that are under attack by Arpaio and MSCO.

We will not allow this event to take place without expressing our concerns against Arpaio. We will unite to protest Joe Arpaio and allow him to witness OUR 1st Amendment right to protest a racist sheriff.

To be clear: We are not trying to silence anyone - including Mr. Arpaio. The point of this protest is to voice the counter-opinion, not represented by the forum, and to hold the University and Cronkite School accountable for an irresponsible choice of speaker.

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