Man dies by suicide at Eyman prison complex in Florence
A man incarcerated at the Eyman prison complex in Florence has died by suicide, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections.
The Arizona Department of Corrections said Maximinio Matascranz, 24, died on Sept. 11 when staff found him unresponsive in his housing unit with a piece of cloth tied around his neck.
He was declared dead by medical staff at Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa.
Matascranz lived at the SMU 1 unit at Eyman, a high-security facility where another incarcerated man was killed in July.
The Arizona Department of Corrections tracks prisoner deaths by fiscal year. Matascranz is the second incarcerated person to die by suicide in an Arizona prison in fiscal year 2023, which began on July 1 of this year. 10 people died by suicide in fiscal year 2021 and 2022, the highest numbers seen in a decade.
State lawmakers recently toured the Eyman prison complex after The Republic published whistleblower testimonials exposing staffing and security concerns within the Arizona Department of Corrections.
A federal judge recently ruled Arizona's prison health care system was unconstitutional, specifically citing "inadequate treatment for suicidal prisoners."
Have a news tip on Arizona prisons? Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prisoner dies by suicide at Eyman prison complex in Florence
