New Arizona prison health-care provider has history of problems, donations to politicians

A new contractor takes over the health-care needs of Arizona inmates this month, after years of accusations against Corizon for inadequate care.

Lawsuits have accused Corizon of contributing to patients' deaths, and leaving at least one woman to give birth alone.

But the new contractor may not be the solution inmates and their families are seeking.

Centurion has a history of similar problems in states across the country. 

Centurion of Arizona is owned by Centene, a medical company that provides correctional health care, Medicaid, Medicare and health insurance across the country.

The parent company and its subsidiaries have faced numerous lawsuits alleging wrongful deaths in prisons, allowing an inmate to give birth alone and lack of providing mental health care. 

Centene also has been criticized for donating large amounts of money to local politicians' campaigns after being awarded contracts in other states. 

In January, Arizona announced the company would become the new contractor for Arizona and would place 1,000 full-time employees in facilities.

The Arizona Department of Corrections chose the company after receiving five bid proposals during a solicitation process in 2018. Centurion offered a bid of more than $204.7 million, or $16.60 per inmate per day, according to the department. 

Centene did not respond to The Arizona Republic when asked whether current medical staff would need to reapply for jobs or if there will be layoffs. 

Giving birth alone

In 2016, a woman filed a lawsuit against Centurion in Tennessee after giving birth inside a cell in a prison's medical wing alone, according to a report by The Tennessean. 

The lawsuit claimed there was not a qualified obstetrician present, delivery conditions were not sterile and the woman did not receive pain medication. 

The baby was wrapped in a "dirty towel or cloth and his umbilical cord was cut with a non-sterile object," according to court records. 

The lawsuit claimed nurses told the inmate she was "faking it" during labor.

The story is similar to allegations in Arizona under Corizon. This year, a woman gave birth in her cell alone at the Perryville facility in Goodyear, according to a letter sent to a federal judge.

"She told us that she started screaming and banging on her cell door, in hopes of getting the night officer's attention, and that other women in cells around her started similarly screaming and banging on their doors to help her," according to the letter.

The woman sat on a toilet and delivered the baby into her hands, according to the letter. Witnesses told the Prison Law Office it took an officer 10 to 15 minutes to come to the cell. 

Lawsuits over mental health

According to a May report by the Arizona Department of Corrections, there were 12,257 inmates who needed ongoing mental-health services. However, in a letter to a federal judge that month, the ACLU alleged officials were not taking adequate time to assess inmates' needs.

"There were numerous cases in which a patient was moved to a lower level of suicide watch, or removed from watch entirely, after encounters that lasted five minutes or less," ACLU National Prison Project Director David C. Fathi wrote. 

MORE: A mother's frightening story highlights concerns over mental-health care in Arizona's prisons

The new health-care provider has faced similar lawsuits. 

Lawsuits were filed in New Mexico after two inmates died by suicide in December. The lawsuits claimed the New Mexico Department of Corrections and Centurion did not provide proper mental-health care. 

Just like in Arizona, Centurion took over providing health care in New Mexico prisons from Corizon. 

According to court records, the mother of Adonus Encinias claimed her son was taking medication to treat mood disorders and repeatedly asked prison and medical staff to be treated in the facility's substance-abuse program. 

The lawsuit claims staff never met his requests but adjusted his treatment. He developed new symptoms and health problems. 

According to court records, Encinias told staff about his declining health and started making suicidal attempts. The lawsuit referenced a time when Encinias met with a medical staff member: "I spoke with (Mr. Encinias) and gave him a book on how to better himself. He requested to be seen once a week. I explained to him I would see what I could do."

Two months later, Encinias was found dead in his cell in December. 

Keith Richard Kosirog, a veteran, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and other medical conditions after he was hospitalized at a veterans hospital in 2011. Doctors noted that he was "a chronic risk for suicide" due to medical and family history. 

After he was released from the hospital, he was arrested in 2018 and held in a county jail. He was moved to a New Mexico prison for "safekeeping," according to court records. 

According to the lawsuit, Kosirog's intake report noted he made 12 suicide attempts. It also claimed staff lowered his medication and did not provide a treatment plan or suicide precautions. Kosirog died by suicide in December, four months after he entered the prison. 

Giving money to politicians 

In addition to a history of lawsuits, Centurion's parent company Centene also has a history of donating to the campaigns of politicians in the states where it works.

In Florida, Centurion replaced Corizon as the state's prison health-care contractor in 2016.

According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Centene gave former Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state's Republican party several contributions over the years, including $175,000 to a political action committee that helped re-elect Scott. 

The Clarion-Ledger reported Centene gave 10 politicians in Mississippi money over the years. Centene Management Co., a subsidiary insurance company, became "the biggest donor of the highest fundraising Mississippi official in 2017" after a $50,000 contribution to Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. 

That trend also appears to be continuing in Arizona.

According to the nonprofit group Center for Responsive Politics, which researches federal campaign contributions, Centene gave contributions to many Arizona candidates in the 2018 election. 

The Campaign Finance Institute's data site Follow the Money reported that the company gave money to Gov. Doug Ducey and other state politicians in past elections as well. Some candidates received multiple donations from Centene throughout the years.

Some of the politicians have held positions on Arizona's House and Senate judiciary committees, which control legislation dealing with prisons and criminal justice issues. Ducey appoints the Department of Corrections director.

Some of the donations:

• Former U.S. Sen. John McCain (R) in 2016: $5,000.
• Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in 2010: $1,000. 
• U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R) in 2018: $2,500.
• U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) in 2018: $2,500. 
• U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, (D) in 2018: $2,500.
• U.S. Rep. Tom O'Halleran, (D) in 2018: $1,000.
• U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton (D) in 2018: $1,000.
• Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2014: $4,000.
• Former Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin (R), in 2016: $5,000.
• Former state Rep. Bob Robson (R), in 2014: $2,000. 
• Former state Sen. Jeff Dial (R) in 2014: $500. 
• Former state Sen. Bob Worsley (R) in 2014: $500. 
• State  Sen. Heather Carter (R) in 2014: $500. 
• Former state Rep. Doug Coleman (R) in 2014: $500. 
• State Sen. Kate Brophy McGee (R) in 2014: $500. 

Have thoughts about Arizona’s legal system? Reach criminal justice reporter Lauren Castle at Lauren.Castle@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Lauren_Castle.

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