Inmates at the Arizona State Prison Complex Lewis are set to regain running water after a water main break disrupted service around 5:30 a.m. last Thursday. The outage, which affected nearly the entire facility except for the Eagle Point and Sunrise units, led the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry to cancel visitation and outdoor activities.
According to ABC15, repairs at the prison were completed by last Friday afternoon after an outage left many inmates unable to flush toilets, bathe, or depend on regular bottled water distribution. Family members raised concerns over the situation, with one relative saying, "I understand that they're inmates and this isn't the Ritz Carlton, but it's still inhumane. They still are human beings."
The department said it is monitoring housing unit temperatures, adding cooling methods, and canceling outdoor activities to reduce heat risks, as reported by 12news. Inmates are receiving updates on repairs through tablets and staff, and visitation is limited to legal and DES purposes. Officials said inmates have a steady supply of drinking water, and normal water service will return once the system is fully pressurized.
