Justice for Corinne Arakawa: Support Needed

My mother, Corinne Arakawa, 71 years old, was released from the Victorville prison in California on 8/29/24 and expect to make her way to the halfway house in Las Vegas on her own to serve the remainder of her sentence. She did not have a choice about being transferred from Victorville to the Las Vegas Community Correctional Center.

On 8/30/24, she was sent out by the halfway house in the Las Vegas summer heat to receive a TB test that was required for her stay. She was wheelchair-bound while at Victorville prison and had not been in Las Vegas in years and was not accustomed to the severe heat. While on her way, she suffered a medical emergency and was found unconscious with burns over 25% of her body. As of right now, she’s at the UMC burn care unit and has already had her right leg amputated will probably lose all of her toes on her left foot!

Even though I was noted as her emergency contact, the halfway house failed to notify me about the incident, and I was only informed by a concerned resident also staying at the halfway house. Nearly 3 weeks since her accident, I’m still awaiting an official call from her case worker or the halfway house regarding my mother’s incident!

I believe that the BOP and the halfway house acted with great negligence by allowing an elderly woman with mobility issues to get herself to a TB testing facility, and given that she was still in BOP custody, they should’ve provided adequate transportation to and from the facility and not left her to fend for herself.

I am seeking help that will allow me to further advocate for her, remain by her side, and seek out a lawyer that will go after the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Parole, and the halfway house for their gross negligence and finally secure her an adequate wheelchair that she can use once she is discharged from the hospital.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us in this trying time and who have reached out with their thoughts and prayers! It means a lot!

All my aloha,

Cody Colby