Arizona Department Of Corrections Adding Beds To House Rising Female Population

By Jimmy Jenkins
Published: Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 5:33pm
Updated: Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 10:02pm
Arizona Department of Corrections
Arizona Department of Corrections building in Phoenix.

After reports of overcrowding at the state women’s prison from inmates and their families, KJZZ has learned the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) is building more beds to accommodate a growing population. 

ADC spokesman Andrew Wilder said "the department is currently experiencing an increase in courts sentencing female offenders to a state prison term."

"In response," Wilder said, "the department has authorized the installation of 80 new minimum/medium-custody temporary beds at the Perryville prison in Goodyear at a cost of $50,000."

According to records from ADC, there are 4,320 beds in the Perryville prison, but that number includes special use, detention beds, normally used for segregation. The daily count sheet from May 30, 2019, shows 4,238 women living in the prison. That’s up from 4,095 on Jan. 1, 2019. 

study from FWD.US showed that between 2000 and 2016, the number of women in Arizona prisons doubled.

Wilder said construction of the new beds will begin in June.