After Cooley's death, at least three of Arpaio's other psychiatric inmates died in the same manner.
Newscom
Sheriff Joe Arpaio compares unfavorably to L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca when it comes to jail conditions.
Newscom
Baca's office dealt with MRSA infections five years ago. Arpaio's office has yet to start.
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In 2003, the Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill requiring that jail healthcare meet national standards.
The Department of Justice has also required Arpaio to meet national jail standards.
But neither government body has taken steps to make sure Arpaio is meeting its standards.
And according to the county's own auditors, he isn't. They say Arpaio's jails fail to meet constitutional and state standards required by law.
In 2003, the county hired Jon Bosch, a corrections consultant with 20 years of experience, to audit Arpaio's jails.
"The current correctional healthcare program at Maricopa County is not in compliance with the basic healthcare rights provided to inmates under the U.S. Constitution," Bosch concluded. He found that Arpaio's jails violate the Eighth Amendment prohibiting "cruel and unusual punishment."
National jail inspectors like Bosch are not bleeding-heart prisoner advocates. They're a jaded breed familiar with corrections law and have spent decades walking the stinking, cramped corridors of jails. Bosch would be out of a job if he threw claims of constitutional violation around casually in the hundreds of jails he audits.
Attempts to interview Bosch, who still works as a corrections auditor, were unsuccessful.
In addition to constitutional violations, Arpaio's jails have also broken Arizona law, according to another county-hired inspector. "The Sheriff is required to verify that healthcare services are [in] compliance with nationally accepted correctional healthcare standards. The current program would not qualify," concluded the 2003 Maricopa County Correctional Health Services Staffing Proposal Draft.
Under Arizona law, Arpaio must obtain certificates showing successful inspections and keep this certification on file.
Despite the statute, when New Times asked to see these certificates, Arpaio spokesman Paul Chagolla said he could not hand them over because the sheriff no longer keeps them. In the next breath, Chagolla assured New Times that the jails do meet the required standards.
Arpaio has paid no more attention to federal mandates.
On December 6, 1999, Arpaio agreed to change a number of jail policies after federal attorneys took the sheriff to court a second time over alleged civil rights abuses.
"We have concluded that unconstitutional conditions exist at the Jails with respect to (1) the use of excessive force against inmates and (2) deliberate indifference to inmates' serious medical needs," stated a federal audit of jail conditions.
The DOJ wrote up a civil rights "settlement" that Arpaio signed.
However, records show that not once in the past seven years have the feds checked to see if Arpaio made the changes he promised.
According to local inspections, as well as complaints from inmates, Arpaio ignored the following terms of the settlement:
• "Inmates assigned to tents will have free access to adequate cooled interior areas."
• "Inmates will have free access to adequate indoor toilet facilities 24 hours per day, and inmates will have adequate access to shower facilities."
• "All Medical Request Forms received will be triaged by [Correctional Health Services] nurses within 24 hours."
• "Inmates may make oral requests for medical attention."
• "When an inmate has not received prescribed medication relating to infectious, chronic, or life-threatening conditions during a regular medication [distribution], the nurse will take appropriate action to ensure that the inmate receives the medication as soon as is feasible."
When the DOJ put Arpaio in a headlock, he cried "uncle" by claiming he had implemented a list of to-dos. But he hasn't, and the Justice Department hasn't made him.
Health code violations in Arpaio's kitchens go beyond the usual jailhouse whining about the quality of chow. The conditions cited by inspectors create a breeding climate for disease. Arpaio's mess halls routinely fail reviews by Maricopa County Environmental Services inspectors — the same inspectors who monitor restaurants and public facilities across the county.
County Attorney Andrew Thomas could literally shut down Arpaio's jails and arrest the sheriff for criminal public health violations.
That's exactly what Thomas did last year to a number of Phoenix restaurant owners whose kitchens had fewer violations than Arpaio's.
During Thomas' botched "Dirty Dining Crackdown," he pursued Tepic Restaurant's owner with criminal charges that resulted in jail time, fines and two years of probation. He also held a press conference to announce the criminal charges against the owners of Ajo Al's. The owners demanded a trial; Thomas lost.
Another targeted restaurant during this campaign had only four violations. Meanwhile, a single one of Arpaio's jail kitchens has netted more than 30 such violations in the past two years.
Here's a glimpse into Arpaio's kitchens based on county inspection reports from Environmental Services:
• Roaches are frequently spotted swarming behind major appliances, scuttling through food-preparation stations and lurking where food is stored. The presence of flies and rodents is routine.
• "Pest control is not properly performed," noted one report dryly.
• Just as prevalent are piles of rodent excrement and nests polluting food areas. More alarming, inspectors repeatedly note the presence of rodents and rodent feces in the water wells.
• Sanitation is hardly better. Inspectors report human waste on shower floors, standing water, a frequent lack of hot water and, again, vermin infestations.