| NEWS | Josh Kelety Hell in a Cell Life on the inside of MCSO’s understaffed jails as the pandemic rages. BY KATYA SCHWENK I nside Maricopa County’s jail system, a winter surge of COVID-19 cases, coupled with a major staffing short- age, is causing renewed chaos in an already strained operation. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has implemented new emergency rules in at least one of its five jails amid rapid staff attrition and high COVID-19 transmission, according to internal emails and data ob- tained by Phoenix New Times. The documents illuminate a worsening problem in the county’s jails, which are al- ready facing scrutiny for their chaotic and sometimes draconian COVID-19 response, the subject of an ongoing class-action law- suit being waged by The American Civil Liberties Union. “Ever since I stepped in here, I’ve expe- rienced nothing but hell,” wrote Bakr Omar, who is serving a 90-day sentence for a robbery charge, in a message to New Times. The 20-year old is incarcerated at Wat- kins Jail just southwest of downtown Phoenix, and one of about 400 people in the jails that have tested positive for CO- VID-19 in January. There are currently 6,240 people incarcerated across the county’s jails. Omar is just one of several people inside who detailed to New Times how a lack of staff has aggravated poor conditions. It has been difficult to receive basic medical care when needed, he said. Even basic health request forms are difficult to obtain. Last week, Omar was quarantined in a single jail cell packed in with nine other Maricopa County’s primary detention facility in downtown Phoenix, the Fourth Avenue Jail. men. Those in quarantine are not allowed to leave the cell except to shower — and of- ten can only do so once every four or five days. A week earlier, Maricopa County’s pri- mary detention facility in downtown Phoe- nix, the Fourth Avenue Jail, introduced a new “emergency dayroom plan” to help curb the spread of COVID-19 with fewer workers on the job, according to an email obtained by New Times. The new protocol requires only one guard to supervise more than a dozen peo- ple. Normally, that job would take two guards. The new policy took effect on Jan- uary 11 and will continue “until further no- tice.” Also under the new plan, some people in custody will spend dramatically less time in the “dayroom” and are only allowed to leave their jail cells for up to four hours each day. Typically, incarcerated people may spend between eight to 16 hours out- side of their cells. The changes have sparked concerns among guards at the downtown Phoenix detention center, according to one MCSO employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. Guards are worried that the plan poses a safety risk for both detention officers and those in custody, the source said, as it cuts down the num- ber of guards available to respond to a problem. The top brass responsible for Maricopa County’s jail system, Sheriff Paul Penzone, as well as custody chief Barry Roska, de- clined interviews for this story. “A safe and secure jail system for the staff and community members who work, reside or pass through our jail network has always been a top priority of the Office,” wrote MCSO spokesperson Calbert Gillett in an emailed response to questions from New Times. As for the emergency plan, it >> p 13 11 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JAN 27TH– FEB 2ND, 2022
