Father of Arizona inmate wants answers after son beaten with padlocks
PHOENIX (AZFamily) —Family members of inmates, and State Senator Kevin Payne, want answers after three prisoners were murdered and others have been beaten behind bars. Whistleblowers have been coming forward with concerns, like fights and safety issues that endanger inmates and staff. State lawmakers are expanding their probe into the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry.
William Witherspoon, whose son shares the same name, says his son was recently battered and bruised after inmates hit him with padlocks stashed inside socks. But his father says it’s the entire system that enabled the brutal attack.
“I don’t sleep as much as I used to no more because I’m...I’m concerned,” said the father.
Witherspoon’s son is serving time in a Southern Arizona Prison. But it’s more than just prison bars separating the father and son. Witherspoon lives hundreds of miles away in Texas. “Like when I get phone calls, I’ll be like, nervous when I see that Arizona number.”
Read more at: https://www.azfamily.com/2025/06/05/father-az-inmate-wants-answers-after-son-beaten-with-padlocks/