2004 Arizona Prison Scandal

         January 18, 2004, two prisoners escaped an Arizona prison, injured two prison workers, and escaped to a prison tower with two hostages. 

After one inmate at the Arizona State Prison Complex attacked a guard, another inmate joined and the two gained access to the officers' tower where they remained for nearly two weeks. 

The hostages were Lois Fraley and a male prison guard. The male was freed before frailly. During their time as hostages, both Fraley and the make were physically and mentally abused. The male was beat with a shovel in the head, leading to him being fully disabled after he was untreated for several days while held hostage by the prisoners. 

Fraley was starved, raped several times by both prisoners, and was mentally and physically abused and injured by both prisoners as well. 

The only form of communication that was available to the outside was a radio, which they used to communicate with prison officials. "The radio is the only thing that got got me through the pain and abuse, because I knew that people in the outside world were praying for me," said Jeanine L'Ecuyer, a hostage. 

Jeanine was working as the spokeswoman for the Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano, during the time of her capture. She had only had the position for less than five weeks and was still learning the business when the event happened. 

"It would be easier to get information to the media and public because of the use of Twitter and Facebook," said L'Ecuyer. "If the information got leaked to one person, he or she could post it on the web and it would spread like wildfire."