Court asked to run health care system in Arizona prisons

PHOENIX (AP) — Lawyers challenging the quality of health care in Arizona’s prisons say corrections officials don’t have the capacity to improve staffing problems that have put incarcerated people with medical and mental health issues at risk of harm. The prisoners are asking a judge to take over health care operations in state prisons. In briefs filed late last week, attorneys made what amounted to closing arguments in a trial over the quality of health care in Arizona’s state-run prisons. Testimony in the trial, which will be decided by a federal judge, concluded in mid-November. Corrections officials deny allegations they were providing inadequate care.