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A female imprisoned at Perryville State Prison in Arizona has died from excessive heat-related medical issues. Marcia Powell, 48, had been a long-standing player in the system for prostitution. Powell, who was most recently sentenced to twenty-seven months for prostitution this past August, had been awaiting a transfer to nearby detention unit. She was left alone in an outdoor holding cell awaiting her transport, while the blazing sun raged on and had been kept outdoors for over three hours in 100+ degree heat in the uncovered holding “pen.”
Powell collapsed at approximately 2:40 PM and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight at a local hospital.
As per Arizona Department of Corrections Director, Charles L. Ryan, a criminal investigation is pending to determine whether negligence was a factor in the woman’s death. Sounds like Sheriff Joe’s at it again with his wicked inhumane treatment of prisoners. Of course it starts off “innocently” enough; dyeing male inmates’ boxers pink to “shame” them in public (oh, Lord, because there’s nothing as embarrassing as a man in pink, especially if you’re a “man’s man,” right?), creating tent-cities to house massive amounts of criminals who have do endure desert temperatures 365 days a year — totally humane, no?
I don’t give a rat’s ass what you’re imprisoned for (to the exception of child abuse cases, because I feel quite strongly on those particular cases). This woman was a human being. To practically tie her up to the side of a fenced-in shed and leave her to stew in hundred-degree temperatures is a serious violation of human rights. It’s completely appalling that something of this caliber could occur in a relatively up-to-date state prison. On the same note, it’s no different than the various women who were forced to give birth in jail cells, with no outside help from physicians, nurses or even simple staff. The most recent case of notoriety occurring just yesterday to Dubuque, Iowa resident, Terra Keil, who gave birth (alone) in jail on a metal toilet, for Christ’s sake. The asshole in charge in this particular incident, Greg Egan, who is Dubuque County Jail Administrator, stated that Keil had never notified the staff that she was pregnant. The swollen belly didn’t give it away? The girl’s cries for help didn’t set something off in someone’s mind that something just may not be right? Must have been the bloody mess and wailing child that really gave it away.
I understand that people end up in prison for a reason. I understand that it’s the taxpayers money that fund these mini-vacations. I also understand that a lot of people imprisoned for various law-breaking wouldn’t give another human being the time of day when it came to common courtesy. However; lives are still lives and to allow such negligence to occur on such a frequent, careless basis is frigging mind-blowing.
“When a man’s life is destroyed or damaged by some wound or privation of soul or body, which is due to other men’s actions or negligence, it is not only his sensibility that suffers but also his aspiration toward the good. Therefore, there has been sacrilege towards that which is sacred in him.”
–Simone Weil
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“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you’re imprisoned for (to the exception of child abuse cases, because I feel quite strongly on those particular cases).”
What about serial killers? Child killers? Rapists? Why stop at excepting child abusers? When you make an exception like that, it makes the rest of your argument terribly weak.
I would constitute any kind of crime against a child “abuse”. I previously worked for the state child welfare department and had come in very close proximity to child abusers. These people who violate, abuse, sexually molest or kill these children are a different breed of fucked up. To me, in MY opinion, there is no worse crime than a crime against a helpless child.
What about crimes against helpless seniors? Helpless mental patients? Helpless men, helpless women? What about a drug dealer who contributes to the neglect of a child?
I completely agree. Those rapists, murderers, etc weren’t being very “human” when the committed their crimes. Fuck them.
Yes and by abusing them we become abusers, like them. To be human means to be human in whatever condition. Most criminals in their own mind have a reason for their crime. But whatever the reason, a crime is a crime, abuse is abuse. If the victim is innocent or not is of no consequence. A rape is a rape even if the victim was considered a slut by others. To kill somebody by neglect is killing, even if the dead one may have been a killer. If we all become abusers, which we do if we sanction abuse in prison, we loose the right to punish. And by the way if we asume that a lot of these people get out again, what chance is there that they will stop at crime and start act human, if they have no experince of how this would feel like to be treated with respect. Monkey see, monkey do. I am only partially naive, there is a lot of dark grey in this area. But sadism is not the answer. Humanity and the total rejection of abuse in any instance against any person is. I will not be made into an abuser by an abuser. I will not grant this power to anybody.
I agree.
whoops, i don ‘t agree with jennb, i agree with JorgeMacD.
I live in New Mexico, and I wouldn’t mind it one bit if the men who murdered my 16 year old cousin as he defended his girlfriend from being raped were tied up in an outside holding cell in 100+ degree heat and left to burn.
Lives are lives, just like the one my cousin was robbed of.
“lives are lives,” exactly. Isn’t that the point of the post?
Apparently, I was too subtle for you.
While the author of this post is so worried about the lives of criminals, the lives of other people were/are affected/taken from by aforementioned criminals.
Didnt you say he was defending his girlfriend from being raped…. i hope ur not saying it was your cousin who was attempting the rape.
How will torturing to death the men who killed your cousin bring him back? An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind…
I thought that picture was Nick Nolte
I find it rather hypocritical that whether it’s alright if prisoners are tortured or let die or not given basic medical care depends on what crime they are convicted of. It smacks of “stooping to their level” and makes us no better than the criminals we are wishing to punish. I understand the disgust and rage, but isn’t not acting on that what makes us better people than these reprobates in the first place?
I don’t find it hypocritical at all. These people deserve to be punished; that’s why they’re there. If they want the best in care and accommodations then they shouldn’t have done what they did. Also, as a taxpayer, I really don’t want to have to pay for it.
That was not my point. She was saying people deserve to be treated as human beings and not tortured and given medical care- except if they are in jail because they are accused of hurting a child. I have a special hatred in my heart for those that hurt the elderly or the mentally ill. But I don’t propose that people accused of those crimes can be “rightfully” neglected until they die. I am not saying people should not be punished for the wrongs they do or should be given great accommodations, but that if we treat any of them worse than we would treat an animal or as badly as they have treated their victims, we are no better than the criminals.
punishment is different then a death sentence where your skin blisters, your throat swells because they won’t give you water and all your organs start to shut down painfully and leaving people out in the phoenix sun all day with no shelter or water is what your asking to happen. Some of these people haven’t comminted horrible crimes, they just got caught a few times for something minor, this woman suffered an awful death for having sex was that a fitting punishment?
Based on her picture I am going to guess she wasn’t in the best of health to begin with, which I will also guess was due to drugs, alcohol & poor eating habits. Those are all things that she chose to do to herself as well as the crime she committed. Those choices landed her in prison and those choices ultimately lead to her death.
Why don’t we let you stand in the desert heat and see how long you last? No one could survive those conditions for extended periods of time, no matter what kind of shape the were already in.
The average person of average health can survive for 2 days w/o water in 120+ degree heat. Just saying. I also didn’t say I thought her treatment was right. But that the CHOICES that she made in her life ultimately lead to her untimely death.
When criminals abuse the rights of others, no matter what their crime, they should forfeit their own–that’s the purpose of prison! To abq_emt, I am so sorry for your loss, and yeah–I’d sell tickets to see the sorry fuckers who killed your innocent cousin fry. Or help fry them.
I also agree with the first poster–this article’s writer should not have qualified her statement like she did, it made the rest of her reasoning unsound. Make up your mind one way or the other; don’t wobble on the fence!
What????Your comment makes no sense.
What, exactly, was it about my post that you didn’t understand? Is English your native language?
I agree with the title of the post. The punishment should fit the crime. Just making someone stay in prison longer is not fitting the crime, its just extending the punishment. The woman that died was a prostitute, not a rapest or a murderer. I would not be suprised if she also had some mental health issues also, from the way she looks in the picture. She didn’t deserve to die like that.
As far as the woman who have birth in the cell. Well, she may have been in prison for a crime that she committed but the baby didn’t. Why was the child forced to be born in such a unsterile enviroment. The child has rights too that were violated by this lack of help.
Exactly. Being in prison is the “punishment”, adding cruelty is not constitutional. Having your freedom taken away for years or possibly life is horrible enough without some guards getting their jollies on top of it by treating prisoners with inhumanity. Last I heard prostitution is a misdemeanor so why would anyone think this woman deserved this? It’s not like she killed anyone. Unfortunately law enforcement attracts psychopathic personalities who enjoy hurting those that are powerless.
Sorry, ladies, but I’m done with this blog. The well-written, thought-provoking stories are overshadowed by the ignorant assholes that comment on them. I always find myself enraged and/or sick to my stomach after reading. Best of luck to you, tho!
I got excited, cuz I assumed there were some crazy comments. I was disappointed.
Is it really that hard to not look at the comments?