Witness: Yuma prison May "Melee" was another race riot.

UPDATE (OCTOBER 21, 2013)

From a witness to May's "Yuma Melee" (statement dated October 9, 2013)

"I was an inmate during the time at the Dakota Unit when the riot occurred and I was fortunate to not be invovled, but I happened to see the ordeal at its entirety. The initial issue stemmed from a black inmate who sold a Chief (member of the Native American gang) inmate some black tar heroin cut with coffee - the other races had requested for the blacks to "clean up their back yard" and smash that black guy for his actions, but they continued t refuse so during recreation on May 29th, 2013, I had a birds' eye view out of my cell window when all the Mexicans (New Mexican Mafia) Whites (Aryan Brotherhood) and Chiefs went after all of the blacks.

Now be assured this consisted of over 400 inmates for almost 8 minutes. There are two rec fields that consist of 200 inmates, two housing pods were staging/lining up for the chow hall which consissted of another 100 inmates, two chow halls had 50 inmates in each one, the kitchen workers and education building all sturck full force at the same time. The CO's were in complete panic firing off tear gas from the gun tower. Several inmates were even stabbed. I seen it with my own two eyes. It was ugly and nerve-wracking...

The state/DOC seems to be working with the AB and the EME (New Mexican Mafia) gangs which somehow stems to money. The drug trade in here thrives before ANYTHING else - no other thing matters or comes first - drugs of all kinds flood the GP yards statewide and lots of money is made..."

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see also:

ASPC-Tucson/Santa Rita: September Prison Riot.

ASPC-Tucson/Whetstone Race Riot Update: Ryan has lost control.

AZ DOC's Protective Custody fight: tend to both body and soul.

ORIGINAL POST OF MAY 30, 2013

FYI: I'm compiling a report for the US Department of Justice right now about the violence in AZ DOC prisons and the problems with the protective custody process (805), whereby it's impossible for male prisoners to refuse to "join" the gangs (which often involves assaulting another prisoner)  - much less just refuse to follow their stupid racist, homphobic, patriarchal rules - without being victimized themselves, yet many guys still refuse. All reports of violence that folks are aware could be useful as I put this thing together, so please send them to me at arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com.

---------------from the Yuma Sun-----------------

Six inmates injured after prison melee

Yuma Sun

BY CHRIS McDANIEL

May 29, 2013 22:48:01

Six inmates at Arizona State Prison Complex–Yuma were transported to the hospital Tuesday after being injured during a melee. None of their injuries were life threatening.

According to Andrew Wilder, Arizona Department of Corrections director of communications, at about 2:30 p.m., two inmates began fighting inside the close-custody Dakota Unit yard.

“This fight escalated to involve additional inmates,” Wilder said. “There were a total of about 100 inmates in the outdoor yard area at the time – however it's not the case that all of these inmates participated in the incident.”

AZDOC officers responded quickly to stop the fight and were able to secure the unit within three minutes, Wilder noted, adding there were no injuries to prison staff reported.

The Dakota Unit will remain locked down while this incident continues to be investigated. No other details were available as of press time Wednesday.

ASPC–Yuma is located at 7125 E. Juan Sanchez Blvd. near San Luis, Ariz., and houses over 4,000 inmates in five separate units.

ASPC-Yuma's young deaths in custody: Harold Batista, 21.

Harold Batista 

(March 13, 1992 - September 25, 2013)

This 21-year old ASPC-Yuma prisoner died late last month, the cause of which is still under investigation. What is going on in Yuma prison? That's at least the third young man to die of "natural causes" from Yuma prison in the past 18 months, beginning with Joseph Venegas, 28, who died in his cell from pneumonia, having not been seen once for it by medical. Then there was Jesse Cornejo, 24, who reportedly died of AIDS-related penumonia shortly after being hospitalized for it. According to Jesse's family, he didn't even know he had AIDS until he was within weeks of dying.

If anyone knows anything about Harold's life or death that will help me better narrate his story, please get in touch with me. Anything you can share with me about Harold's death, if it was suicide, homicide, an overdose, or medical negligence may help other prisoners who still have a chance to make it home alive. It may also help his family get answers the DOC won't give them. 

If you are a friend or family, you have my condolences. If I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me also. My name is Peggy Plews, and I hear from a lot of families in your shoes.  My phone number is 480-580-6807. My email is arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com. 

ASPC-Yuma Deaths in Custody: Joseph Venegas, 29.

Joseph Venegas, 29, died on April 25, 2012 of unknown causes. He was a prisoner at ASPC-Yuma/Cheyenne. If anyone has any information about his life or death, please contact me (prisonabolitionist@gmail.com).

Condolences to his loved ones.

ASPC-Yuma Deaths in Custody: Eddie Martinez.

Eddie Martinez was beaten unconscious at APSC-Yuma on December 11, and placed on life support. The death announcement below was posted by the Arizona Department of Corrections late today. Condolences to Eddie's family. Please feel free to contact me if you wish to organize with other families to prevent this kind of thing from happening again, or if you need support fighting the state in court. Do what you need to do to grieve, but know that you don't have to go through it alone.



Peggy Plews
480-580-6807
arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com

Victim of Yuma prison beating may soon die.

 This is eerily reminiscent of Dana Seawright's story from July 2010, when he was beaten into a coma at Lewis prison for resisting gang orders, and ultimately removed from life support by his mom. Yes, it seems it could have - should have - been prevented here, had this fellow been placed in protective segregation after he was beaten so badly the first time. Instead he was apparently offered an "alternative" and seemingly "safe" housing option at ASPC-Yuma, where many of the other PS-rejects also get sent to be victimized even further.

If anyone has any further information on this prisoner's beating in Yuma - and the long-term outcome - please let me know. I'm undertaking a massive campaign to address the skyrocketing rates of prison assaults and homicides over the past 3 years, and the troubles prisoners are having getting protective segregation status approved even after being threatened and attacked repeatedly. 


 
Any background information and hard documentation I can get my hands on would be greatly appreciated. I (Peggy) can be reached at 480-580-6807 or arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com.


Our thoughts are with this man and his family tonight.

----------------from AZ Range News---------------

Willcox man critically beaten in prison

By Ainslee S. Wittig/

Arizona Range News

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 1:07 PM CST

Eddie Martinez, of Willcox, turned 51 on Dec. 12, but there was no joyous occasion. Instead, his family was waiting for six doctors to determine his fate after he was nearly beaten to death the day before in Yuma.

Martinez was declared brain dead at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix and will likely have his life support turned off Thursday, said his sister, Tina Hidalgo, also of Willcox.

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that this could have been prevented.

Martinez was in prison for repetitive offenses of fraudulent schemes and theft. He was incarcerated on June 29, 2009 and has been moved five times. When he was transferred to Phoenix unit SMU 1, he was severely beaten by other inmates about four months ago, she said.

"His jaw was broken. They kept it wired shut four weeks longer than they needed to and his pain medications were being stolen. He lost 35 pounds, and had just started working out again. He was a body builder," she said.

He was moved after that incident to the Arizona State Prison Complex Yuma's Cibola Unit in San Luis.

"He had just written a letter to my mother (Helen Martinez of Willcox) saying that the inmates who had beaten him up were transferred to his unit. He did not say their names," Hidalgo said. "This time they killed him. We don't know how long he had been laying there before anyone found him."

"We want to know who is going to be held accountable for what happened to my brother."

Hidalgo said her mother had not been able to get any information from the prison.

"They called her after he was taken to St. Joseph's, but did not give her clearance to come see him until he was determined to be brain dead," she said.

When reached Tuesday morning, Bill Lamoreaux of the Arizona State Prison Central Media Office, said Martinez was discovered at just after 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, "with injuries consistent with an assault."

"He remains hospitalized (as of Tuesday), and a criminal investigation is ongoing by the ADC (Arizona Department of Correcitions)," Lamoreaux said.

"I can't give you any more information at thei time,a sthe investigation is ongoing."

ASPC-Yuma officer suicides.

...maybe these aren't the kinds of jobs these prison towns should be wishing for their kids to grow into. The rate of suicide among corrections officers is reportedly higher than that of regular cops...

Our condolences to Dale's friends, family, and colleagues; suicide is a devastating way to leave.

--------from the Yuma Sun------

Correction officer's death believed to be suicide

August 29, 2011 12:04 PM

BY JAMES GILBERT - SUN STAFF WRITER

A 52-year-old corrections officer at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Yuma died in an apparent suicide last week at the prison.

The corrections officer, now identified as Dale Thomas, fatally shot himself at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night, at the complex's parking lot shortly after his shift began, according to Barrett Marson, media relations administrator for ADOC.

Thomas, who was working the overnight shift that night, was a 12-year veteran of the job, having entered service with the Department of Corrections back in September of 1999.

The Arizona State Prison Complex - Yuma is located on the corner of Avenue B and Juan Sanchez Boulevard, east of San Luis.

Marson said the incident is under investigation.

Thomas is not the first corrections officer from ASPC-Yuma to have committed suicide while on the job.

In January of 2007 a male corrections officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the firing range during weapons training.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.

ASPC-Yuma: Prison Experience Workshop Program

Since I've been naming all the bad guys lately, I thought it would be appropriate to tell you who seems to be doing something right at the AZ Department of Corrections, too. It's good to see that prisoners and staff can work together so co-operatively on a creative project like this.

What follows is a press release I just stumbled across - doesn't appear to have been picked up by mainstream media yet. If there's anyone out there with first-hand experience of this program, please leave your comment below. In the meantime, I think I'll drop them a line.

---------------------------

Arizona Department of Corrections Staff and Inmate Peer Mentors are Working Together to Battle Recidivism, Reports "FromHereToTheStreets"

Despite shocking conditions, inmate peer mentoring program succeeds

For Immediate Release

YUMA, Ariz./EWORLDWIRE/Sep. 8, 2010 --- The Prison Experience Workshop Program (P.E.W.P.) and its inmate peer mentors are taking their activities to greater heights with the help of the staff at the Cheyenne Unit at ASPC Yuma. Without any state funding and only small donations from an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Gold Canyon Heart and Home, the Prison Experience Workshop Program is experiencing great success due to support it receives from the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADOC) staff at Cheyenne Unit.

Since its inception in 2005, the Prison Experience Workshop Program has graduated hundreds of participants.

An updated evidence-based survey conducted on 211 graduates who took the classes - between 2006 and 2009 - has shown that 70 graduates were released from custody, with only 9 re-offending and returned to prison. This gives the program graduates an average recidivism rate of approximately 13 percent.

Graduates have little or no disciplinary issues and participate in many other self-help programs to aid in their successful return to the community.

The program claims its incredible 87 percent success rates result from the focus on developing life skills such as effective communication, integrity, work ethics, and community betterment.

Graduates of the program are also offered an opportunity to become peer mentors and facilitate future classes. This pay-it-forward approach allows inmates serving lengthy sentences to help communities by sending other inmates home with the tools they need to succeed rather than the same habits that caused them to victimize those communities in the first place.

The staff at Cheyenne Unit supports this program under the most difficult circumstances. Two of the Unit's primary buildings were condemned in May of 2009. These buildings housed the offices of the chief of security, the unit programs supervisor, yard offices, operations supervisors, the corrections industry facility, and several other areas supporting normal daily operations. The inmate chow hall is also condemned, and the feeding of inmates must take place in the unit visitation areas as a "carry-out" process that has already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs to the department. Even with those obstacles, the staff at Cheyenne Unit is instrumental in the P.E.W. Program's continued success.

Deputy Warden Franco, Associate Deputy Warden Ayala, COP! Zaragoza, Captain Thompson, COIII Lien, COIII Trepanier, COIII Rodriguez, and most of the uniformed and non-uniformed staff make daily contributions to the inmate mentors by supporting their daily activities despite the lack of working space, difficult conditions, and continued financial constraints.

The program is constantly evolving and is currently incorporating pre-release/reentry materials, small business development, and health education into its curriculum.

Those interested in learning more about the Prison Experience Workshop Program may view or download the materials free of charge. The P.E.W. Program books are available in 6 PDF files on FromHereToTheStreets.com (http://www.fromheretothestreets.com).