A federal judge is giving the parties in the Parsons vs. Ryan prison health care lawsuit 60 days to renegotiate a settlement over conditions in Arizona prisons.
In 2012, the original lawsuit was filed in federal court alleging unconstitutional health care conditions for people incarcerated in state prisons. Three years later, in 2015, the court approved a settlement, avoiding a trial.
Now nearly five years later, attorneys for the inmates say the state has not lived up to its end of the bargain.
Attorneys for the state argue they have made progress and said they will work to narrow the scope of the remaining health care issues in a new settlement.
U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver warned the parties if they can’t agree on how to fix the system, she will send the case to trial. "Each side must approach these renewed negotiations with the goal of reaching an agreement which will finally end this litigation," Silver wrote.
Magistrate Judge Deborah Fine will preside over the new negotiations. The parties have until Jan. 13 to file a status report on the settlement discussions.