Timeline for Kingman Prison
Posted on 09/02/2010 @ 12:08 AM
The DOC report confirms that Kingman had been operating as a minimum custody facility until 2010 (and the Napolitano administration had operated it as such at least since July 2008, probably because of security concerns.) The Brewer administration then converted it to a Medium Custody facility (and began to house murderers) without any upgrades in security.
Click here to see the Governor's own security assessment, which says, "very little action taken to prepare physical plant and staff for the transition to Medium Custody in April 2010." (bottom of page 5)
Everything on the timeline below is corroborated and compiled primarily from ADOC's website, but also from legislative documents as cited. The one fact we have not been able to corroborate through ADOC records is the date Kingman was downgraded from a mixed medium/minimum facility to a minimum facility.
A key spot in the timeline is Dec. 23, 2009.
Kingman Private Prison/ Department of Corrections Timeline
2004 -- The Kingman facility, which was designed to house 1400 DUI offenders, opened with 450 beds in 2004. According to the the May 7, 2004 minutes of the Arizona Legislature's Joint Select Committee on Corrections, although there were plans for level 2 (minimum security) and level 3 (medium security) inmates at Kingman, those inmates were to be DUI offenders only . In fact, when Sen. Cannell asked for clarification of the level 2 and 3 beds, Schriro explained that "[m]ost DUI offenders are a relatively easy group to manage, but if there is a propensity for violence in the criminal history of the offenders, a higher level of custody is sometimes warranted." Of the 1400 beds, 1, 100 were designed for level 2 inmates and 300 for level 3, or medium security, DUI offenders. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/iminute/house/0507corrections.doc.htm
2005 -- The remaining 950 of 1400 total beds became available at the Kingman facility for DUI offenders.
FY 2006 and 2007 -- According to the ADOC Operating Per Capita Cost Reports, Kingman was a DUI-only facility in FY 2006 and 2007. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2006_PerCapitaRpt_%20CORRECTED_ORDER.pdf;http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2007_PerCapitaCostReport.pdf
2008 -- Gov. Napolitano ran a bill (SB 1142) to regulate private prison design and the kinds of prisoners sent from other states, but it never got a hearing. The law has not been amended since that time. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1142p.pdf
July 2008 - December 23, 2009 -- DOC downgraded Kingman to a minimum security facility, where it remained until December 2009. According to DOC's FY 2009 Operating Per Capita Cost Report, Kingman has "[n]o offender with a higher than minimum custody level." (This report covered prison operations up to October 2009.) http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2009_PerCapitaRpt.pdf (page 15)
September 3, 2009 -- Governor Brewer signed HB 2010 in the 3rd Special Session in September 2009. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/3s/bills/hb2010h.pdf This bill authorized the privatization of all but one of the state prisons, including the maximum security units of those prisons, provided a private prison contractor was willing to pay a $100 million concession to the state at the beginning of the contract. Dir. Ryan had opposed these privatization provisions and had written a letter to Brewer asking her to veto a similar bill when it was introduced three months earlier. (Letter attached.) Despite her director's protests, Brewer authorized the conversion of maximum security prisons to private facilities.
December 23, 2009 -- Kingman changes from a minimum security facility to a minimum/ medium security prison according to DOC's daily prisoner count. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/12232009%20count%20sheet.pdf Approximately 300 beds out of the 1400 total are classified as medium security. The facility could not house murderers unless it was classified at least as high as "medium security." Because the facility housed minimum security prisoners only from July 2008 to December 2009, the 3 escapees must have been transferred to Kingman on or after December 23, 2009.
March 2010 -- The provisions of HB 2010 regarding the conversion of all levels of state prisons to private facilities were repealed in HB 2006 during the 7th Special Session in 2010 because no private contractor showed any interest in making bids on the contract. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/7s/bills/hb2006h.pdf Therefore, the $100 million concession is no longer in place. However, another section of HB 2010 that authorized 5,000 new private prison beds is still effective. Bids have been received for the 5000 beds and are now under consideration. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/divisions/adminservices/notice_rfp22310v2.pdf These would be general population facilities.
April 3, 2010 -- 2000 additional beds become available at Kingman when a new facility opens. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/04032010%20count%20sheet.pdf This new facility was supposed to house medium security inmates, but prison officials determined that it did not comply with minimum standards for medium custody beds. http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubsectionID=797&ArticleID=39368 Therefore, the old facility at Kingman, with its 1400 beds, was converted to a medium security facility. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/04032010%20count%20sheet.pdf (It is unclear how the original facility, which,when originally designed, had only 300 beds at medium security level, could have all 1400 beds upgraded to medium security.)
May 2010 -- A riot broke out at the Kingman prison, resulting in a lockdown of the prison and the hospitalization of seven inmates.
July 2010 -- Three medium security prisoners escape from the original 1400 bed facility at Kingman.
Join us for debate watch parties
Posted on 08/31/2010 @ 02:32 PM
Attorney General Terry Goddard squares off with Governor Jan Brewer on Wednesday night in what may prove to be the only debate between the two gubernatorial candidates for this election. That is, unless Brewer finally agrees to Goddard's call for six additional debates around the state on topics important to Arizonans such as jobs, the economy, education and public safety. As of now, she's ducking from a serious discussion of these issues.
Please join us at one of our debate watch parties to cheer on our candidate, scrutinize Brewer's claims, and enjoy the company of fellow voters. If you know of other debate parties that we've missed here, please post them in the Events section of the Arizona Democratic Party homepage (www.azdem.org).
All debate parties run from 6:30 – 8:30pm
Phoenix
Majerle’s Sports Grill
24 N. Second St. (Corner of 2nd St. and Washington)
Parking in available in nearby garages, guests also encouraged to take the light rail. There is a stop just two blocks away at 3rd Street and Washington.
RSVP to Jonathon Cagle at jcagle@ourarizona.org
Tucson
Pima County HQ Office
4639 E. First St.
RSVP to Caitlyn Brady: cbrady@ourarizona.org
East Valley
GEMDEMS Office
7153 E. Main St., Mesa
RSVP to Mike Stevens: mstevens@ourarizona.org
Home of Corey Harbison
10944 E Bella Via, Mesa
RSVP to Mike Stevens: mstevens@ourarizona.org
Yuma
Yuma County HQ Office
2450 S 4th Suite 115
RSVP to Shaun Cassidy: scassidy@ourarizona.org
Nogales
La Padella de Nicola
554 N Morely Ave
RSVP to Alex Guzman: aguzman@ourarizona.org
Green Valley
Green Valley Democratic HQ
220 W Continental Rd, Suite 420
RSVP to Heath Vescovi-Chiordi: hvescovi@ourarizona.org
Sierra Vista
Home of Tom Wisnewski
3890 S Moson Rd
RSVP to Grant Freeman: gfreeman@ourarizona.org
Flagstaff
Collin's Irish Pub (back room)
7:00pm Start Time
2 N. Leroux St.
RSVP to Kelsey: kelseyb@ccdem.org
Meet the 2010 Democratic slate
Posted on 08/26/2010 @ 04:28 PM
Dear Friend,
It's time to turn a negative into a positive-- across Arizona, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and fight back against the negative campaigning and failed policies that have harmed Arizona. As a native Arizonan and former governor, I am excited to tell you that our slate is, without a doubt, the strongest, most qualified and most diverse Democratic ticket our state has ever seen.
These are my candidates:
Governor – Terry Goddard
Secretary of State – Chris Deschene
Attorney General – Felecia Rotellini
Treasurer – Andrei Cherny
Superintendent of Public Instruction – Penny Kotterman
Mine Inspector – Manuel Cruz
Corporation Commission – David Bradley and Jorge Luis Garcia
U.S. Senate – Rodney Glassman
U.S Congress, District 1 – Ann Kirkpatrick
U.S. Congress, District 2 – John Thrasher
U.S. Congress, District 3 – Jon Hulburd
U.S. Congress, District 4 – Ed Pastor
U.S. Congress, District 5 – Harry Mitchell
U.S. Congress, District 6 – Rebecca Schneider
U.S. Congress, District 7 – Raul Grijalva
U.S. Congress, District 8 – Gabrielle Giffords
The stakes are high this November: by electing our slate, we can rebuild our public schools, bring jobs back to our state, and fix the huge hole in our state budget. Now is the time for us to come together to support our great Democratic ticket. Let's start now.
Many thanks,
Gov. Rose Mofford
Primary Election Night Party!
Posted on 08/19/2010 @ 02:55 PM
Friends,
The countdown to our primary election night begins now! Where will you be on that historic evening? Join your Democratic peers, candidates and party officials as election results come in through the evening. The evening signals our 70 day journey to victory in November.
Arizona Democrats are invited to the Goddard for Governor Headquarters for the official viewing party of "primary night". Details Below:
WHO: DEMOCRATS!
WHAT: Primary Election Night gathering for Arizona Democrats.
WHEN: 8-10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24.
WHERE: The new Goddard for Governor headquarters in downtown Phoenix (1001 N. 3rd Ave. Suite 1 - at 3rd Avenue and Roosevelt). Plenty of parking is available in the parking structure in back.
We hope to see you all there!
Statement on Senate confirmation of Elena Kagan to Supreme Court
Posted on 08/05/2010 @ 10:05 PM
Don Bivens, Arizona Democratic Party chairman, issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.
“We are gratified that the Senate gave swift confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. She has earned praise from Democrats and Republicans alike for her legal intellect and her fair-minded approach to the law. As a Supreme Court justice, Kagan undoubtedly will use that intellect on behalf of all who seek justice in our legal system. We congratulate Kagan on her confirmation and applaud the president for choosing such a strong nominee.”
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Will Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's Pals Profit From SB1070? (VIDEO)
Posted on 07/30/2010 @ 09:41 PM
Since signing SB1070, Jan Brewer has done untold damage to Arizona's reputation, tourism industry and overall economy.
But now there may be more to the story.
This recent TV news report by Phoenix-based KPHO exposes Brewer's connections to Corrections Corporation of America, the private prison company that could make money imprisoning illegal immigrants.
Big weekend for Democrats
Posted on 07/14/2010 @ 10:30 PM
Dear Fellow Democrat,
An exciting weekend is upon us and we need your help! Saturday and Sunday will feature four office openings, 14 phone banks, and 24 voter registration drives. With these openings, our statewide field operations are in full swing. Field organizers are on the ground and volunteers just like you are signing up to help!
The importance of our field efforts across the state cannot be overstated. Extremist Republicans continue to push a far-right agenda that doesn’t address what Arizonans truly need: more jobs, economic recovery and quality schools. Every volunteer knocking on doors, making phone calls or writing letters to the editor makes a huge difference toward electing responsible leadership in November.
The four new campaign offices will host activities like voter registration, phone banks, canvasses and other activities aimed at electing Democrats. Please stop by to meet fellow Democrats from your community and sign up to volunteer!
Office openings:
Saturday 17th
LD 8: 7835 E Redfield Ste 104, Scottsdale, 85260
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Grand Opening Celebration
Congressman Harry Mitchell, LD 8 candidates and other candidates
Bring an appetizer to share
LD 10: 9040 N 19th Ave, Phoenix, 85021
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served
Meet local candidates
Voter registration training
Street teams will be going to Montebello & 19th Avenue Metro stop to do voter registration and PEVL
Sunday 18th
So. Phoenix: 1717 W Southern Ave, Phoenix, 85041
5 to 8 p.m.
Grand Opening Celebration
Meet your local candidates
Street team voter registration 6 to 8 p.m.
There will be free food!
LD 11: 3241 E Shea, Phoenix, 85028
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served
Meet your local candidates
Voter registration training
Rapid response phone banks
Canvass for Vote by Mail
Phone Banks, Canvasses and Voter Registration Drives:
There are too many to list, so click here to see these events on Organizing for America’s site.
See you this weekend!
Hulburd Garnering National Attention
Posted on 07/13/2010 @ 07:27 PM
July 13, 2010
Dear Democrats,
We thought you’d like to know that Jon Hulburd, the only Democrat running for Congress in Arizona’s 3rd District, is getting some well-deserved media attention for his fundraising success. But Hulburd is also impressing voters with his efforts to do what more politicians should actually be doing: working to improve our community.
On Friday, Hulburd announced substantial fundraising numbers, having raised $750,000 since beginning his campaign and over $250,000 in the last quarter alone. The political press took notice of this impressive haul. In case you missed it, check out these articles and video:
ABC 15's Inside Arizona Politics: Democrat Shakes Up Race for Shadegg's Congressional Seat
Daily Kos - Polling and Political Wrap
Hulburd also recently unveiled Community Comes First – a series of service projects to benefit neighbors in the district.
The first project is this Saturday, July 17 at 9 a.m. Volunteers will clean apartments for new families arriving at the Central Arizona Shelter Services' Vista Colina Center. This is an emergency shelter committed to providing families with a safe place to stay when they fall on hard times. The center is at 1050 W Mountain View Road in Phoenix. If you’d like to volunteer for this or other Community Comes First projects, contact Gabi Porter at (480) 252-5719 or sign up online at www.hulburdforcongress.com/community.
Top-quality Democratic candidates like Jon Hulburd are critical in this election cycle. Let’s show them our support and get involved today!
Yours in the fight,
Luis Heredia
Executive Director, Arizona Democratic Party
Support your Corp Comm candidates!
Posted on 07/07/2010 @ 09:23 PM
This election will determine which party controls the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state agency that determines what you pay for electricity, water, phones and natural gas, and sets energy policy for our state. Two seats on the five-member Commission are open this year.
The Republican incumbent Gary Pierce is seeking to return to his seat. This is the same man who suggested Arizona cut off electricity to Los Angeles and was celebrated on Fox News as a result.
Republican candidate Brenda Burns presided over the Senate during one of the most embarrassing periods in state history, highlighted by the alt-fuels fiasco that cost taxpayers around $150 million.
Just last week Republican candidate Barry Wong told The Arizona Republic that, if elected, he would require regulated utilities to check the immigration status of customers.
Fortunately, the Arizona Democratic Party has three tested, proven candidates in our primary. All three candidates are running under the state's clean elections system. Competing for the two open seats are State Representative David Bradley, Democratic Minority Leader and State Senator Jorge Luis Garcia and former Corporation Commissioner Renz Jennings.
Our Corporation Commission candidates can join sitting Democratic Commissioners Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman in a Democratic majority to promote solar energy, create local jobs and protect consumers from volatile utility bills.
The Republican Legislature actually sponsored a bill this year (HB 2701) that would have killed solar energy development and killed jobs in Arizona! It would have stripped the Corporation Commission of its Constitutional authority to set energy policy and given that authority to the Legislature.
Please watch the televised Clean Elections debate featuring all three of our candidates airing on KAET-8 (PBS) Wednesday, July 21st at 7:00 p.m. The debate can be viewed afterward on the Clean Elections website.
Let’s show the Republicans that we support our Democratic candidates for the Corporation Commission. Democrats know how to protect consumers, encourage solar energy development and create local jobs in the growing clean energy industries.
Brewer on Immigration Reform: The longest non-answer in history
Posted on 07/02/2010 @ 06:06 PM
