Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Healthcare

Federal judge cites years of poor medical and mental health care in state prisons.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the takeover of healthcare operations in Arizona's state-run prisons, citing years of complaints about inadequate medical and mental health care that has led to suffering and preventable deaths. The judge will appoint an independent official to run the prison healthcare system after the state failed to comply with court-ordered changes.

Why it matters

This decision comes after a 2022 court ruling that found Arizona's prison healthcare system was unconstitutional, leading to a long-running legal battle. The judge's order to appoint a receiver to oversee the system is a drastic measure aimed at finally addressing the state's failure to provide adequate care for the 25,000 inmates in its prisons.

The details

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver ordered the takeover after determining that the state has failed to comply with court-ordered changes over nearly 14 years of litigation. The judge said prisoners remain exposed to "an intolerable grave and immediate threat of continuing harm and suffering" due to the systemic deficiencies in the healthcare system. Lawyers for the prisoners had requested the receivership, arguing the state lacks the leadership to fix the problems in a reasonable timeframe.

  • In 2022, Judge Silver ruled that Arizona's prison healthcare system was unconstitutional.
  • For over a decade, the state has faced criticism over the poor quality of medical and mental health care in its prisons.
  • In 2014, the state vowed to overhaul its prison healthcare system in a settlement, but was soon accused of failing to keep many of those promises.

The players

Judge Roslyn Silver

The U.S. District Judge who ordered the takeover of Arizona's prison healthcare operations.

David Fathi

One of the lawyers representing the prisoners, who said the decision "brings hope that the preventable suffering and deaths" in Arizona's prison system can finally end.

Arizona Department of Corrections

The state agency that runs Arizona's prison system, which has been accused of failing to adequately improve healthcare despite court orders.

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What’s next

The state and attorneys representing prisoners have 60 days to submit a list of candidates to run the health and mental health care operations in Arizona's prisons.

The takeaway

This court-ordered takeover of Arizona's prison healthcare system is a drastic measure aimed at finally addressing longstanding constitutional violations and preventable suffering and deaths among the state's 25,000 inmates. It highlights the failure of the state to adequately reform its healthcare system despite years of litigation and court orders.