This is the fifth installment of what was contained in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division report about Cook County Jail. It concentrates on prisoner access to medical and dental care.
Hos about sick call?
Here’s how bad access to medical care is. And, this is from July 25, 2007, six months after Dart was sworn in as sheriff:
One of the investigators brings to the attention (page 56) of the medical staff that a prisoner has “requested medical treatment (several times) for staples and sutures left in his scalp and sutures that had been left in his arm.”
No response from the medical types.
Now get this next sentence:
”He reportedly was placed in lock down for ten days for making repeated requests for medical care. It is inappropriate to punish inmates for requesting medical care.”
Dental care?
One dentist for 9,500 prisoners.
Extractions only (page 57). Twenty-five percent resulted in chronic infections (inflammation/disease of the bone or dry sockets).
The jail has lost its accreditation (page 58) from the National Commission on Correctional Health.
With that loss went the incentive to measure performance of the medical system.
And mental health care?
Not too high on the priority list when budget cutting time comes (page 59).
Tomorrow: Suicide and fire prevention.
Previous stories:
Part 1 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Sheriff Tom Dart’s Goals
Part 2 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – 2007 Complaints of Physical Abuse to Inmates
Part 3 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Causes of and Cures for Physical AbusePart 4 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Medical Care
My concern is not with Cook County Jail, but with Robinson Correctional Center in Crawford County in the eastern section of the state. My husband is an inmate there and is being denied health care for a blackened toe because of his diabetes. He was told that there was nothing that could be done for him until he gets on the outside, which is two years from now. Diabetes is nothing to play with and is a very serious illness if now treated right. Gangrene can possibly set up in his toe and his toe could fall off because of NO blood circulation. My husband needs medical attention before his condition worsens. I need someone to listen and help to get inmates the healthcare that they need. Inmates are people too!
I can be emailed at:
Sparkle4me @att.net
Jacqueline Jackson
Jacity12 said…
My concern is not with Cook County Jail, but with Robinson Correctional Center in Crawford County in the eastern section of the state. My husband is an inmate there and is being denied health care for a blackened toe because of his diabetes. He was told that there was nothing that could be done for him until he gets on the outside, which is two years from now. Diabetes is nothing to play with and is a very serious illness if now treated right. Gangrene can possibly set up in his toe and his toe could fall off because of NO blood circulation. My husband needs medical attention before his condition worsens. I need someone to listen and help to get inmates the healthcare that they need. Inmates are people too!
I can be emailed at:
Sparkle4me @att.net
Jacqueline Jackson
6:30 AM
I witnessed and experienced the abuse at McHenry. An Immigration detainee was taken from her home, with her blood pressure and diabetes medication. Seh was refused her own medication they insisted on giving her their substitutes, that gave her a near fatal urine then kidney infection. They tested her blood pressure by waking her at 5am so it would register low to normal. They tested her blood sugar immeidately she had eaten (she was having trouble eating now) to show it was norma; but she was not ok, she was shaking in pain and unable to walk the stairs when the food came; afte I made calls to the OIG hotline that she WOULD DIE if they didnt do something, they took ehr to medical, the nurse told her she was dangerously ill, the day she was back on her feet, she was dumped back into the cell block, and shoved onto a plane that night so she could not assert any of her rights. They nearly killed her.