Skip to main content

Urgent Concerns Regarding Corruption and Negligence in the Prison System


To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my deep concerns about the ongoing corruption and negligence within the prison system, specifically regarding the treatment of my husband, Ryan Epperson, who is currently serving a 7-year sentence for drug-related offenses. Ryan is battling addiction and should be receiving the help and rehabilitation he desperately needs, not being placed in environments that further perpetuate the cycle of substance abuse and institutionalization.

Prior to Ryan’s sentencing, while he was still in county jail, I worked diligently with Spectrum and Momentum to get him diagnosed and approved for inpatient rehab. This program would have given Ryan the chance to get clean and receive the treatment he so desperately needs. However, despite all of these efforts, the prosecutor refused to allow this option, even denying any bond reduction or paper bond that would have permitted Ryan to attend rehab. It is beyond comprehension that in all of Ryan’s drug-related offenses, he has never once been offered drug diversion programs—only prison time on yards filled with drugs that are frequently brought in by staff.

Instead of receiving the proper treatment for his addiction, Ryan was sent to Red Rock Correctional Center, a prison riddled with Fentanyl, the very substance that has plagued his life for years. How is it acceptable that an institution meant for "correction" is teeming with the very drugs that inmates like Ryan are trying to escape from? This system is setting him up for failure.

After just one month, Ryan was transferred to another facility (La Palma), where he was greeted by a correctional officer telling the new inmates, "You're in the trenches now. Welcome to La Pillma." Such a statement is indicative of the toxic and dismissive attitude that pervades these facilities, further proving that these environments are designed not for rehabilitation, but for institutionalizing inmates even more deeply.

How is this acceptable? Rather than offering Ryan the help he needs to break free from addiction, he is being pushed further into environments filled with temptation and danger, where drugs are readily available, often brought in by the very people meant to oversee his care and safety. Are they trying to make him even more institutionalized than he already is?

To make matters worse, while Ryan is fighting all of this, I am also facing my own battle. As a former correctional officer, I am now facing felony charges stemming from Ryan’s relapse and the possession of substances found in our car. Ryan has taken full responsibility for this, yet the county is using my former profession as a correctional officer to sensationalize the case against me. Despite my innocence, they seem determined to make an example out of me for the sake of clout.

As a result, I am being forced into homelessness, unable to secure employment, with my disabilities worsening to the point that I am now pending permanent disability. I have no income whatsoever, and I am left to fight not only for my own freedom but for my survival. I am battling the very real threat of homelessness, while living with agoraphobia—conditions that make it nearly impossible to survive alone. All of this is happening because my husband, who is a drug user, is being further institutionalized by a system that claims to rehabilitate but instead perpetuates the cycle of destruction.

This is not justice. This is not rehabilitation. The system is failing Ryan, it is failing me, and it is failing countless others in similar positions. It is incomprehensible that rather than offering drug diversion, support, and rehabilitation, the solution continues to be prison yards overflowing with the very substances that destroy lives.

I implore you to investigate this situation and take the necessary steps to ensure that the prison system is held accountable for its actions. Ryan deserves a real chance at recovery, and I deserve a fair chance to clear my name without being used as a pawn in a system desperate for "wins."

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Much appreciation,

DeAnna Epperson, MFP, CCBLC, NLP Prac, CMH, CCIC, EMDRT, CCMP, SLC
Forensic Psychologist, Certified Cognitive Behavioral Life Coach, Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Certified Master of Hypnosis, Certified in Child Crisis Intervention, EMDR Therapist, Certified Conflict Mgmt Professional, Sobriety Life Coach

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exposing the Deadly Reality at La Palma Correctional Facility: How Many More Have to Die?

For years, La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona, has been a hotspot for controversy, yet little has been done to address the rampant corruption, officer misconduct, and systemic failures that have turned it into a living hell for those incarcerated within its walls. Most recently, another inmate has died—one of many whose deaths could have been prevented if those in charge had taken real action instead of covering up their negligence. On January 2, 2025, I fought to have my husband moved out of La Palma due to the sheer volume of drugs flooding the yard, which were being brought in by correctional officers. I reported specific names to the Special Security Unit (SSU), thinking that doing the right thing would bring change. Instead, my concerns fell on deaf ears. Now, here we are, with more inmates losing their lives—many of these deaths are suspected overdoses, yet little to no investigation ever seems to result in actual change. A History of Negligence and Deaths This lates...
2 comments
Read more

The Beating You Weren’t Supposed to See: A Former AZDOC Officer Speaks Out

  Let me tell you something right now — that viral 3-minute video Fox 10 Phoenix aired last week? That wasn’t the whole story. That was just the tip of the blood-soaked iceberg. As a former Arizona Department of Corrections Officer, I know exactly what you're looking at in that video. You’re seeing the tail end of a brutal, calculated beatdown that started long before the cameras started rolling. That inmate? He’d already been dragged, pummeled, and bled out — by the time he was being chased down the entire length of the prison yard like a damn scene out of a gladiator movie. Fox 10’s report referred to it as a fight that “spilled out into the prison yard.” SPILLED OUT? Like someone knocked over a soda. No — this wasn’t some spontaneous scuffle. That man was hunted . Let’s Break Down the Bullsh*t Donna Hamm’s Comment: “The inmates are running the asylum, and that's not what the taxpayers in Arizona are paying for.” Newsflash: the inmates have always run the yard. Th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Doing Time on the Outside: The Reality of Being a Prison Wife

"So I know prison wives get a lot of heat from people that don’t understand the life. It’s sad. But we struggle too. We’re serving time too. As much as I love and trust my husband, I will always fact check. These men are survivors with survivor mentality. They’re not in prison for being stand up men 😂 in fact, mine went in a liar and addict. In order to save money, I ask questions. If protecting myself and going behind his back to confirm, oh well. I’ll protect me since he didn’t, wouldn’t and couldn’t… and this is a safe place for LO’s to be able to come together and gather facts without shaming and blaming. A lot of times people will say 'why be with him if you don’t trust him?' That’s fair. But has anyone been in love before 😂 None of us woke up one day and said I’d love to marry a felon. Yet, here we are. I wake up everyday hoping he’d change his lifestyle 🤷🏼‍♀️ I just want women to know it’s okay to be a little on edge. A little apprehensive and untrustworthy. It’...
Post a Comment
Read more