Report Card on Arizona Prisons

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Report Card on Arizona Prisons

Arizona Prisons, Too Little, Too Late

A Report Card

By Carl R. ToersBijns, former deputy warden, ASPC Eyman

Introduction – This report card is used for the purpose of evaluating and documenting information collected in local media streams with the sole purpose of providing guidance and support to those advocating better, safer and less costly prisons inside Arizona. Arizona spends more than $ 1 billion dollars on prison management in the past fiscal years and continues to ask for additional funding to keep their agency afloat.

Background – The opinions expressed in this report are those of its author and takes into consideration that most data received or collected is anecdotal in nature and may be personal or subjective based on inferences or cultural insights.

Overview – This overview is based on rational conclusions acquired and gained a period of time working inside southwest prisons and throughout the approximately thirty years in law enforcement having the experience of working the Arizona prisons for five years and working another twenty years in the New Mexico prisons offering a valid southwest cultural viewpoint on how prisons are management in this part of the country.

Report Card – In January, 2009, a new agency director was appointed by then governor Janice K. Brewer. His appointment was interim and pending permanent appointment and approval by the Legislature. Between the years 2004 and 2009, the Arizona prison system was under the directorship of Dora Schriro, a progressive liberal minded individual who focused on inmate programming and education priorities.

Mr. Schriro started a new trend in Arizona by promoting self-help programs, therapeutic environment conditions for the mentally ill and expanded the inmate employment program to the point where there was between 79 % to 84 % of the inmate gainfully employed or going to school.

This report card will document the progress made since her departure in January 2009, and the arrival of a new director, Charles L. Ryan, a former Arizona corrections official who had returned from tenure with the federal government and assigned in an official capacity at the Abu Ghraib Iraqi prison to train and develop prison programs for that country.

Summary of Findings – The prevalence of mismanagement complaints about public prisons inside Arizona has made the headlines now for more than three years. These events are well documented and warrant research and analysis by those responsible for public safety and the preservation of civil rights inside Arizona.

The reader should focus on the number of staff assaults that have occurred, the number of “natural deaths” reported, the number of suicides committed within the last two years and the flawed delivery of medical and mental health services that are neglected and delayed raising an awareness issue of known cases of communicable diseases, chronic illnesses and other sanitation and health conditions that may impact the communities when prisoners are released,

Government’s Response – There have been no significant, positive developments to report since the arrival of Charles L. Ryan as director. Although it appears he might have implemented a number of strategically goals and objectives within his five year plan, they have not made any noteworthy impact through these initiatives and leave much of these problems status quo for the time being.

It is clear that government has failed to provide the resources, leadership and vision necessary to address in a comprehensive and progressive manner those issues raised by their own investigative reports, and those by the media or advocacy groups vocal about changing the manner prisons are being operated.

There appears to be a lack of coordination and harmonization between this agency and those assigned required services according to the rule of law and internal policies and procedures. As a result, the standards of care related to custodial and healthcare available to prisoners varies between failing and barely meeting minimum requirements per law, standards and contractual obligations.

Conclusion – Prison systems have a moral, but also a legal responsibility to act without further delay to address these urgent issues reported and known to be deficient in nature or operation. Today, the government continues to fail to meet its responsibilities for public safety, staff safety and prisoner related safety issues.

There are few positive developments that have occurred since 2009 but the government is clearly not doing all they can do in the matters presented in this report card. It comes down to the quality of leadership within this agency that will make the difference between meeting its moral and legal obligations to the public and do much more to improve the current conditions as they stand.

Staff Issues – Cumulative Grade – F

Since January, 2009, the number of staff: