Judge seizes control of Arizona's prisons healthcare system

A federal judge has placed Arizona’s prison healthcare system under the control of a receiver for the next five years. U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver appointed Annette Chambers-Smith, the former head of Ohio’s prison system, to the role and ordered the state to pay her $500,000 a year.

Silver said Arizona has failed for years to provide constitutionally required medical care to incarcerated people. Problems cited in her order include staff shortages, nurses handling care that should go to doctors, missed referrals for serious conditions, and inadequate funding and facilities.

Chambers-Smith will take over healthcare decisions from Ryan Thornell, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. She can hire, fire, transfer, discipline and set pay for healthcare staff, and can end contracts with private companies providing medical services.

The receiver must create a plan within 180 days to address the problems. Silver also gave her access to $2.2 million left from fines previously paid by the state. The system has faced penalties of $1.4 million in 2018 and $1.1 million in 2021 after failing to meet court requirements.

The case began in 2012 and led to a 2015 settlement. Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh said he would like to appeal the ruling, while the ACLU said the state’s staffing and rural location challenges do not excuse failing to provide constitutionally required care.