Gov. Doug Ducey says he's hired two retired Arizona Supreme Court justices to conduct an independent investigation into problems with cell door locks at the Lewis prison west of Phoenix.
Ducey announced Tuesday that former justices Rebecca Berch and Ruth McGregor will conduct the review. Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak says they are also tasked with finding out if the problem exists at other prisons.
The move follows a report from Phoenix television station ABC15 showing inmates were able to open their locked cells. One inmate died after a related assault and two corrections officers were severely beaten.
The prison guards union joined with an inmate rights group Tuesday to demand an immediate fix.
Padlocks have been placed on 1,000 cells at the prison in Buckeye as a temporary fix.
