Thursday, September 24, 2009

Cage Death Ruled an "Accident"

Less than a month after the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Arizona Department of Corrections inmate Marcia Powell's May 20 human cage death an "accident," ADC honcho Charles Ryan has fired three employees, forced the resignations of two others, and disciplined 11 more. This according to an ADC news release issued today.

Specifically, the release states that Ryan "dismissed five employees, two of whom resigned in lieu of dismissal, demoted a captain to an officer and suspended another 10 employees" because of Powell's death from being left in a shadeless, waterless outdoor cage at Goodyear's Perryville Prison. Powell collapsed May 19 after at least four hours in the blazing Arizona sun. Ryan later made the decision to suspend her life support, even though Powell, 48, had been assigned a guardian by the court -- Maricopa County's Public Fiduciary.

Ryan's quoted in the release as saying of those disciplined, "These supervisors and officers to varying degrees failed to properly perform their duties." Left unsaid is any mention of the fact that Ryan ordered Powell's plug pulled before consultation with her guardian. Ryan has stated that he did not know Powell had a guardian at the time.

Should Ryan fall on his sword in this matter? After all, couldn't it be argued that Ryan failed to do his duty by not ensuring that Marcia Powell was treated safely and humanely during her 27-month stint in prison for prostitution?

Full Article and Source:
Marcia Powell Cage Death: Charles Ryan Fires Three,Disciplines Others, But When Will He Resign?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

A million dollars? A million days! Let him die in the can!

Anonymous said...

She was in for prositution, for crying out loud. And for that, she's now dead.

I disagree, Thelma, I think Marcia Powell's death was an accident in that they didn't intend for her to die.

What they did intend was to torture her.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the decision to suspend Marcia Powell's life support had any basis that if she recovered, she'd be a witness against them.....

Anonymous said...

Every person involved in this "accidents" should be fired and then charged with attempted murder.

Anonymous said...

Look at how many were involved -- why they must have been having a fine time at Marcia Powell's expense.

Shame on them.

Anonymous said...

Is the public fiduciary suing for wrongful death?

Anonymous said...

How do you get authority to pull the plug?