Court Rules Arizona Prisons Fail To Provide Constitutionally Adequate Medical & Mental Health Care

On June 30, 2022, a U.S. District Court ruled that the Arizona prison system violates the constitutional rights of prisoners by failing to provide them minimally adequate medical and mental health care. The judge ruled that in addition to providing inadequate health care access, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) subjected inmates to harsh and deprived conditions in solitary confinement units. ADCRR incarcerates nearly 30,000 adults and youth.

The ruling was in the case of Jensen v. Shinn which was filed in 2012 as a class action lawsuit. In 2014, the court approved a settlement . . .