Federal Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Healthcare

Ruling follows years of complaints about poor medical and mental health care in state's correctional facilities

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered a takeover of health care operations in Arizona's prisons and will appoint an official to run the system, after years of complaints about poor medical and mental health care that led to suffering and preventable deaths among inmates.

Why it matters

This ruling is a significant intervention by the courts to address longstanding issues with the quality of healthcare provided to incarcerated individuals in Arizona's prison system, which has faced ongoing litigation and scrutiny over substandard care.

The details

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver made the decision on Thursday, following her 2022 verdict that concluded Arizona had violated prisoners' rights by providing inadequate care. The judge will now appoint an official to take over and run the prison healthcare system.

  • The judge's ruling came on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • In 2022, Judge Silver previously ruled that Arizona had violated prisoners' rights by providing inadequate healthcare.

The players

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver

The federal judge who ordered the takeover of Arizona's prison healthcare system and will appoint an official to run it.

Arizona

The state whose prison healthcare system has faced years of complaints and a court ruling finding inadequate care that violated prisoners' rights.

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What’s next

The judge will now appoint an official to take over and run Arizona's prison healthcare system.

The takeaway

This ruling represents a significant intervention by the courts to address longstanding problems with the quality of healthcare provided to incarcerated individuals in Arizona, underscoring the state's failure to uphold its duty of care for prisoners.