Arizona Prison Watch (retired): legal observer

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. 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.

until all are free -

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

Showing posts with label legal observer. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Policing the Police: Next week's COPWATCH training

Hey all: here's the info for the training on the 28th, before the racial-profiling activities planned by Arpaio and the MCSO once SB 1070 goes into effect. We really need people to turn out for the trainings so you can come on patrol on the 30th. If you can't make it this weekend, head out to this one next week. It's a good training with great people and it's a way to really make a difference. Showing up with your own video camera is a bonus, but you don't have to be out there shooting any deputies - you just need to be diplomatic and take good notes.

After you're done with the training, come join us at Civic Space Park (424 N. Central Ave, where the New Fair Trade Cafe is) - we'll be having a rally to gear up for the 29th.

See you out there.

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Phoenix Copwatch

If you can't be there, or if you're already trained, please share this with anyone who might possibly be interested! We need dozens of volunteers for that day.

"Policing the Police" Training

Location:

Phoenix Friends Meeting House
(Also the locale for Fiddler's Dream Coffee House)
1702 E Glendale Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85020

Time:

7:00PM
Wednesday, July 28th

PHX COPWATCH Training coming up

Phoenix Copwatch

This training will be on a Saturday afternoon to accommodate folks who couldn't make the weekday trainings. Please spread this far and wide. And if you can't make this one, there will still be one on July 28th.

"Policing the Police" Training #3

Location:

Unlimited Potential
6520 S Central
Phoenix, Arizona 85040

Time:

2:00PM
Saturday, July 24th

Sunday, July 18, 2010

SB 1070 Resistance: Legal Observer Training

Summer of Human Rights

Legal Observer Training

Tuesday July 20^th
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Carol Sobel
National Lawyers Guild

For anyone interested in doing Legal Observing

to support the struggle for Human Rights in AZ

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix (UUCP)
4027 East Lincoln Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(Three miles east of the AZ 51 freeway / 1 mile west of N. Tatum Boulevard)

Legal Observers needed:

*July 22^nd rally at Sandra Day O’connor Federal Court House 401 W. Washington St. The day of the hearing for the lawsuit against SB1070

*July 29^th National Day of Non-Compliance (also July 28^th and July 30^th)

*Future Rallies and Actions

Arizona Prison Watch (retired)

Retiring Arizona Prison Watch...

INDIGENOUS ACTION MEDIA

Taala Hooghan Infoshop

Kinlani/Flagstaff Mutual AID

MASS LIBERATION AZ

Black Lives Matter PHOENIX METRO

BLACK PHX ORGANIZING COLLECTIVE

BLACK PEOPLE's JUSTICE FUND

PHOENIX: Trans Queer Pueblo

COVID Mutual AID PHOENIX

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Policing the Police: Next week's COPWATCH training

PHX COPWATCH Training coming up

Sunday, July 18, 2010

SB 1070 Resistance: Legal Observer Training

Arizona Jail Links

Arizona Department of Corrections Links