award a contract for this procurement.

We appreciate your consideration and would be pleased to provide further information.

The level of violence in Arizona's state prisons has skyrocketed since
Jan Brewer took office, appointing Chuck Ryan as the AZ DOC director.
The suicide and homicide rates doubled and the assaults rate tripled. An excellent articleby Bob Ortega from the Arizona Republic in June highlights some of the murders.

The 2010 killing of native American prisoner Albert Tsosie was a gang hit that helped give ASPC-Lewis a reputation for being one of the bloodiest prisons around; Dana Seawright was murdered there just a few weeks later. Marlon McCowan and Richard A. Johnson, both Native American as well, have finally pled guilty to the hit. The gangs, of course, are most unforgiving of - andviolent towards -those they consider their own...remember that, young men out there, when you choose who you call your "brother". Most prison gangs are blood in, blood out.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

On August
10, 2012 a small handful of us in Arizona celebrated Prisoners' Justice
Day, which is a day to remember those who have died in state custody.
Some of us in the "free world" descended upon the Phoenix Art Museum for
a sunrise action, seizing the public space in front of their sign on
Central and Coronado for our canvas. There, about 25 members of the
community chalked a 100-foot wide community memorial to nearly 70
victims of prison violence, neglect or despair, recommitting in the process to our fight for the living as well.

Security
at the Art Museum seemed slow to respond for their