Reports of Abuse Are Up at Arizona Jail

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By Arizona Daily Star

Published: 07/01/2002

Working as a corrections officer can be one of the toughest jobs in law enforcement, authorities say, but some people say officers at the Pima County Jail are being too tough - especially when it comes to using force to control inmates.
Since December, two inmates have died after corrections officer used force against them.
And dozens of complaints have been lodged with the Pima County Sheriff's Department - which oversees the jail - by inmates who say they were beaten without provocation, strapped to beds for hours without receiving medical attention and ignored when they questioned their treatment.
Sheriff's officials say some of the complaints were retracted during follow-up investigations, while others were found to be meritless. They say complaints are unavoidable because few people want to be incarcerated.
They also say some use of force is unavoidable, as conditions are dangerous and corrections officers don't carry guns.
Still, the May 24 indictment of two corrections officers charging negligent homicide in the January beating death of an inmate has raised the level of concern. Some people are calling for an external oversight committee to ensure more inmates won't be injured.
Others want measures to ensure a safer environment for everyone.
Most of the complaints the Sheriff's Department receives stem from incidents in the intake unit, where arrestees are fingerprinted and have mug shots taken. That's also where most threats to officers occur officials say.
Authorities also say, you have to consider the source of the complaints-- from arrestees who come in intoxicated, high and, in that situation, they've lost all common sense and inhibitions.

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