Items

• 
  2020-07-17

  ‘They’re scared’: A look inside the COVID-19 crisis in Arizona prisons

  As COVID-19 began to spread across the Southwest in March, lawyers representing incarcerated Arizonans reported “unsanitary conditions,” “inadequate medical staffing and treatment” and a “failure to take strong and sensible precautionary measures” in state prisons. The combination left prisoners “highly vulnerable to outbreaks,” the attorneys wrote in a letter to the state before asking a federal judge to intervene. The judge did by issuing an order for officials to release more information, but prison advocates say it hasn’t been enough. Nearly four months later, complaints of insufficient safety measures and subpar medical care continue to plague Arizona prisons. At least 569 prisoners at 13 of the state’s 16 prison complexes had tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 15, according to the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, and at least 371 staffers have reported positive results. Justice reform advocates and others with ties to the correctional system worry the state is running out of time to prevent an even more dangerous surge in cases. COVID-19 can spread swiftly in crowded indoor spaces and among individuals with chronic health problems.
• 
  2020-09-14

  Deaf students at Arizona school will learn virtually, but not without obstacles

  Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, students are adjusting to their new normal when it comes to online classes, virtual events and social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. But for deaf and hard of hearing students in Arizona public schools, as well as for many more enrolled in private schools, these adjustments introduce new barriers to communication and learning. Last year, according to the Arizona Department of Education, 1,622 deaf or hard of hearing students were in public schools. Sequoia Deaf School, part of the Edkey Inc. charter school group in Mesa, had 52 students enrolled in grades K through 12 for the 2020-21 school year. Its experience navigating the pandemic illustrates some of the challenges deaf students face, such as difficulty reading lips and faces behind masks, the shorter attention spans of young deaf students and the loss of their nurturing school community.
• 
  2020-07-07

  Surge of Coronavirus Cases Among Inmates

  By Katelyn Keenhan/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship
• 
  2020-08-30

  My experience reporting for A Journal of the Plague Year

  I wanted to articulate my experience with the COVID-19 stories fellowship. It was a great experience hearing about how different communities have been affected and their struggles with the virus. I also talked about my virtual reporting process.
• 
  2020-08-30

  Deaf students at an Arizona school will go virtual, but not without obstacles

  By Katelyn Keenehan/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship
• 
  2020-07-20

  Private prison contracts complicates COVID-19 precautions

  The contracts for Arizona's private prisons require nearly all of the beds to be filled. This story articulates the difficult balance between keeping inmates safe during a pandemic and satisfying the contracts.
• 
  2020-07-30

  The Fight for Second Chances

  As COVID-19 threatens the safety of inmates and staff in the Arizona Department of Corrections, families with incarcerated loved ones are pushing for the state to release some non-violent offenders early. So far, they have not swayed officials... but in November, voters will have a chnace to decide whether certain non-violent offenders should be able to earn time off their sentences. This story discusses the challenges of political activism amidst a pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-01

  ‘They’re scared’: A look inside the COVID-19 crisis in Arizona prisons.

  By Katelyn Keenehan | Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship