Prisons

Reconstruction Ring

Outlaw Dumping

State prison officials wanted tons of deadly asbestos to disappar. So they made the inmates do the job.

Jailhouse Justice

New evidence suggests Sheriff Joe's running his empire as if it were a Mexican prison

Jail Bait

A prisoner was nearly beaten to death behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. Was he set up by Sheriff Joe's henchmen?

Life Interrupted

Derrick Allen was ruined thanks to a shoddy investigation. It's time he be given his life back.

Dead Men Talking

The ACLU is fighting a state law that keeps death row inmates off the Web

The Vampire Strikes Back

An underground newsletter is drawing blood at the Department of Corrections

See You in October

Federal investigation into juvenile corrections broad but slow

Arizona's Worst Criminal

Infamous killer Robert Comer now says he's the one who should die

The Kids Are Still Not Alright

Despite public scrutiny, abuse continues at the state's juvenile corrections facilities

Lock Up, Rub Down

State lawmakers push dubious Mexican drug rehab program

Solitary Man

Convict wins release from super-max security in Aryan Brotherhood case

Schmidt Happens

After 26 days, pugnacious publicist gets out of jail

Pay Back

Promoter David Hans Schmidt mouthed off to the cops, the county attorney and Sheriff Joe. He believes it landed him back in jail.

Shocking Accusations

Is Scottsdale weapons manufacturer Taser International saving lives or supplying tools for torturers?

Kid Row

Isolated, abused and lacking mental health care, do juvenile offenders leave state custody in worse shape than when they went in?

Begging Your Pardon

Fife Symington's free and Michael Hester's not. But thanks to the ex-governor's oversight, that may soon change.

Devils' Advocate

Karl Whitmire is a sex offender's best friend

See Ya Later, Litigator

Notorious jailhouse lawyer turned quick-change artist finally tastes freedom

Marked Man

Felix Medina and his gang compatriots ruthlessly ruled a south central neighborhood. Now the party's over.

Chain Reaction

Why some inmates dig the pauper-planting female chain gang

Detention Mounts

County jails are understaffed, but there seems to be plenty of money for the sheriff's pet projects

Paying the Price

Jailer's Jihad

Dead Man Balking

Death row inmate wants to finish a 100-year robbery sentence before he's executed

Billion-Dollar Bad Guys

The county's jails are crammed full. But not with the dangerous felons backers of an initiative to raise money for new jails would have you believe.

Paying the Price

The sheriff's not talking, but records reveal that taxpayers are spending big bucks to defend controversial jail operations

Caged Hit

Inmate's family files claim against state for gang-related murder

Jailhouse Shock

Investigation into "reprehensible" sexual misconduct at state corrections facility leads to a guard's dismissal

Letters

Custody Battle

Hundreds of inmates in state prisons need special protection from gang paybacks. When officials tried to mix them in with the general-prison population, they filed suit--and won.

Jailhouse Blues

State prison guard investigated for sexual misconduct

Curtains for Ceja

As a teen, Jose Ceja killed two people and was sentenced to die. He spent 23 years on death row as a model prisoner, and then his sentencing judge admitted he'd made a mistake. But the state of Arizona killed him anyway.

Hog-Tied by the Truth

For the second time, a federal investigator has found appalling conditions in the county jails

Letters

Indecent Exposure

They spent months covered in the dust and dirt of a prison renovation. Now, dozens of officers and inmates say the state risked their lives by making them work with asbestos.

Human Plights

International group urges immediate stop to Arpaio jail practices

From Ritz to Writs

Keeping 'em in Stitches

Crohn's disease sufferer Damon Dreckmeier was sentenced to 111 days in the county jail. Denied a few dollars' worth of daily prescription medication, he was rushed to the hospital five times, undergoing two surgeries. Taxpayers will pay for his treatment,

Inmates, Heal Thyselves

Public Pays in Jail Death

County pays $50,000 in case of inmate who committed suicide while jailers watched a video of Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Who's the Man?

With Suge Knight in prison, onetime receptionist Norris Anderson is now the big man on Death Row

Feds Sue Arizona

State accused of "failing to protect women inmates from sexual misconduct" involving prison guards

Feds Slam Sexual Misconduct

An 18-month investigation finds an "unconstitutional pattern" in women's prisons in Arizona

Jail Suits Could Cost County Taxpayers Tens of Millions

Letters

Barbarism As a Public Relations Strategy

Letters From Jail

Bagels and Locks

Complaints about tainted food and inmate abuse pour forth in wake of Tent City riot

Sanitized for Joe's Protection

Sheriff's summary of probe into inmate's death omits alarming details