This is eerily reminiscent of Dana Seawright's
story from July 2010, when he was beaten into a coma at Lewis prison
for resisting gang orders, and ultimately removed from life support by
his mom. Yes, it seems it could have - should have - been prevented
here, had this fellow been placed in protective segregation after he was
beaten so badly the first time. Instead he was apparently offered an
"alternative" and seemingly "safe" housing option at ASPC-Yuma, where
many of the other PS-rejects also get sent to be victimized even
further.
If anyone has any further information on this prisoner's beating in
Yuma - and the long-term outcome - please let me know. I'm undertaking a
massive campaign to address the skyrocketing rates of prison assaults and homicides
over the past 3 years, and the troubles prisoners are having getting
protective segregation status approved even after being threatened and
attacked repeatedly.
Any background information and hard documentation I can get my hands
on would be greatly appreciated. I (Peggy) can be reached at 480-580-6807 or arizonaprisonwatch@gmail.com.
Our thoughts are with this man and his family tonight.
----------------from AZ Range News---------------
By Ainslee S. Wittig/
Arizona Range News
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 1:07 PM CST
Eddie Martinez, of Willcox, turned 51 on
Dec. 12, but there was no joyous occasion. Instead, his family was
waiting for six doctors to determine his fate after he was nearly beaten
to death the day before in Yuma.
Martinez was declared brain
dead at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix and will likely have his life
support turned off Thursday, said his sister, Tina Hidalgo, also of
Willcox.
The tragedy is compounded by the fact that this could have been prevented.
Martinez
was in prison for repetitive offenses of fraudulent schemes and theft.
He was incarcerated on June 29, 2009 and has been moved five times. When
he was transferred to Phoenix unit SMU 1, he was severely beaten by
other inmates about four months ago, she said.
"His jaw was broken. They kept it wired shut four weeks longer
than they needed to and his pain medications were being stolen. He lost
35 pounds, and had just started working out again. He was a body
builder," she said.
He was moved after that incident to the Arizona State Prison Complex Yuma's Cibola Unit in San Luis.
"He
had just written a letter to my mother (Helen Martinez of Willcox)
saying that the inmates who had beaten him up were transferred to his
unit. He did not say their names," Hidalgo said. "This time they killed
him. We don't know how long he had been laying there before anyone found
him."
"We want to know who is going to be held accountable for what happened to my brother."
Hidalgo said her mother had not been able to get any information from the prison.
"They
called her after he was taken to St. Joseph's, but did not give her
clearance to come see him until he was determined to be brain dead," she
said.
When reached Tuesday morning, Bill Lamoreaux of the
Arizona State Prison Central Media Office, said Martinez was discovered
at just after 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, "with injuries consistent with an
assault."
"He remains hospitalized (as of Tuesday), and a
criminal investigation is ongoing by the ADC (Arizona Department of
Correcitions)," Lamoreaux said.
"I can't give you any more information at thei time,a sthe investigation is ongoing."
.JPG)
