The Quality of Medical Care in Federal Prison—Learn the Real Truth!

A recent editorial in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel was titled, “Inmate deaths: Lengthy appeals process the real problem”. The author of the editorial, Al Ortenzo, was the Assistant Chief of Police for the city of Fort Lauderdale. In this article he stated that the level of healthcare in federal prison is far better than the inmates received in the outside world before coming to prison. Mr. Ortenzo, respectfully, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!

I do agree that the appeal process is in the federal court system is overly burdensome. I also agree that Death Row should be a short term holding facility but only after all exhaustive attempts have been made to ensure that real justice has been afforded each prisoner. After reading Mr. Ortenzo’s article I assume that he is a proponent for the death penalty. I myself, am not against the death penalty, but only when it is clearly determined that the individual who is about to die really did the crime.

In his editorial, Assistant Chief of Police Ortenzo stated, “Each and every case, no matter how egregious the crime, certainly deserves several layers of careful and exhaustive reviews.”  Well Mr. Ortenzo, this is not happening in Fort Lauderdale, or in the State of Florida, or in the entire United States. This is not how our criminal justice process works. With the advent of DNA testing, many wrongfully incarcerated individuals are being proven innocent and being released from federal incarceration. The Innocence Project alone on April 23, 2007 exonerated its 200th inmate who was wrongfully convicted based on eyewitness identification through misidentification. Mr. Jerry Miller was exonerated through DNA testing and DNA evidence.  He had always maintained his innocence but to no avail. Fortunately, he was released after serving 24 years in federal prison. Jerry Miller lost nearly his entire adult life because of a wrongful conviction. He didn’t go to the death chamber, he didn’t lose his life.  Yet how many innocent individuals have gone to the death chamber before DNA testing could prove them innocent? We will never know, but even one is too many.

In cases where the accused admits guilt to the crime and there can be no possible mistake as evidenced by DNA testing, the death penalty may be warranted. But until that happens, we cannot say that several layers of careful and exhaustive reviews have taken place.

Mr. Ortenzo also stated, “Studies show that all prisoners, including those on death row, typically receive a far better level of medical care from taxpayers than they would otherwise have provided for themselves outside the prison walls.”  I have no idea what studies you have been reading Mr. Ortenzo, but I can certainly tell you they are not accurate, correct, or truthful. Mr. Ortenzo, your statement is just not correct. I doubt that you have ever been incarcerated in a federal prison. I have. You apparently believe what people tell you. I have been there, I experienced it, I know the truth!

After nearly 36 months in both a Federal Prison Camp and Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, Florida, I can assure you that the medical care in the Bureau of Prisons is pathetic, appalling and inexcusable. There are many federal prisoners serving sentences far less than death row inmates. Many have been convicted of crimes much less severe than those of Death Row inmates. I had far better medical care before my imprisonment and after my imprisonment as did many of the other white-collar inmates who were there during my incarceration.  Studies can be made to say anything the author directs or distorts them to say. Although this is unfortunate, it is true.

The federal government recently spent billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out the banks, auto manufacturers, investment firms, and Wall Street companies in a matter of weeks if not days. The executives of these companies are not even in federal prison for their egregious mismanagement and crimes. Yet, the federal government and the Bureau of Prisons cannot see to it that individuals incarcerated in federal prison, regardless if they are on death row or not, are provided even minimal standards of healthcare. Mr. Ortenzo, instead of reading reports, go see for yourself!

For more information on medical care in prison go to www.jailtimeconsulting.com and also go to http://www.jailtimeconsulting.com/shop/medical-care-prison-pathetic-appalling-inexcusable-p-51.html.
Michael Frantz 

Michael Frantz is a leading Federal Prison Consultant and Prison Coach with Jail Time Consulting (JTC) in South Florida. The staff of JTC provides sentence reduction strategies, research, and many pre- and post-sentencing services for their clients. Michael has authored a bestselling book on federal prison titled, “Jail Time, What you need to know…Before you go to federal prison!” He has also authored over thirty-five JT Special Reports© on various federal prison issues affecting both the inmate and his/her family. They are available on the website. He writes a daily blog on the JTC website http://www.jailtimeconsulting.com answering readers’ questions and comments. New updates on current sentence reduction legislation and articles can be followed at Blogger at http://jailtimeconsulting.blogspot.com/. He is a nationally recognized authority on federal prison and has published over 40 articles nationwide. He is on Facebook at Jail Time Consulting, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jail-Time-Consulting/251197811579744.  He has been contacted by ABC’s 20/20, the Oprah Winfrey network, and the Fox News Network, as well as many radio and TV stations nationwide as an expert resource on federal prison. He can be reached at 954-522-2254, 800-804-4686, or at mike@jailtimeconsulting.com.

An Inmate’s Letter, The Pathetic Condition of Medical Care in Federal Prison!

This is a copy of a letter that I received from a federal inmate at FCI Beckley in Beaver, West Virginia. He had been waiting for dental care for over one year without any success. His mother called me asked me if we could help.  Here is his letter to me in his own words. His name is withheld for fear of retribution, by Rande Frantz, Federal Prison Consultant.

“In March or April of 2008, while at FCI Beckley, I chipped my tooth and my filling came out. I went to sick call and signed up for dental. I wasn’t seen till over a year later. In April or May of 2009 I was on the Call-Out Sheet for dental. When I got down there it was to have my teeth cleaned. I told Ms. Lucus (dental assistant or dental technician) I did not sign up to have my teeth cleaned.  She said, “Yes you did or you wouldn’t be on the Call-Out Sheet.” So we started to go back and forth about who was right or wrong. I told her I wasn’t the only (Name Deleted) here. She said that didn’t matter because it was me who signed up to have my teeth cleaned. So I said, “Show me” and she got mad. She said, “Fine”, and went and got a refusal form.  She told me I was refusing dental care.  I said I wasn’t. I told her I came over a year ago to have my filling put in. She said that can’t be. So I told her I’m not your lie or anyone else’s. Then she said sign this refusal form. I said no, then she said if I don’t she’ll lock me up. (She was inferring the SHU (Special Housing Unit) also called the HOLE). I said cool. I signed the form but at the bottom, below my name, I wrote, “Ms. Lucus made me sign this.” So a few hours go by and apparently Ms. Lucus talks to the C.O. (Correctional Officer, i.e., guard).  At recall that day, I was called to Medical.  She has my file in her hand. But before I get there, the police, (C.O.), tells me I need to apologize to Ms. Lucus. I said, Why should I, I have done nothing wrong? He said something like it would get me a long way and keep me out of big trouble. So I take the high road and do it. So she has my file in her hand when I walk through the door. She tells me I was right about my filling being out over a year. She said I must have missed the Call-Out. I tell her I didn’t. So she said I should have told her she took an x-ray of my tooth over a year ago. So I get on the Call-Out list a week or two later. When I get there my other tooth needs care more. So I get that one fixed. Now the tooth with the filling out is still not fixed. So I go back to medical in June of 2009 and sign up for dental again. So she, (Ms. Lucus), spins me and tells me to watch the Call-Out. Two weeks ago, the day my mom called you, I go back to Dental again because the tooth with the filling out is hurting real bad. I’m eating aspirin like candy to make my tooth stop hurting. Ms. Lucus tells me to watch the Call-Out again. My name never appeared on the Call-Out.  I ask her if she can give me something for the pain. I tell her the aspirin is making my chest hurt. I beg that lady for her help. She said it’s not her fault they are under staffed. I say it’s not my fault either. She said, “Say one more smart thing and I will send you to the HOLE.” I begged that woman for her help and she shit on me. Then last Tuesday they fixed my tooth, 18 months later.”

The information and details provided in this inmate’s letter are believed to be true. He would have no reason for lying. This is an actual inmate who experienced the problems and frustrations that are detailed in this letter. It was and continues to be very frustrating and exasperating for the inmates in federal prison. After all, it is their health and well being that is being jeopardized. The sad fact is that it does not have to be this way. I am sure part of the problem is lack of staffing and lack of qualified people, but attitude and the mind-set of some of the Health Service employees and prison staff in general also played an extremely important role in the overwhelming failure of their mission. Lack of funds reinforced this failure. If the Bureau of Prisons establishes policies, procedures, and adopts a Program Statement on the Care of Patients (Inmates), then all Bureau of Prisons’ facilities should be made to follow these rules and regulations and be held accountable. In this way, inmate health care can be uniform and standardized. It doesn’t have to be the absolute best, but it certainly shouldn’t be the absolute worst.

Unfortunately, this type of medical care in the Bureau of Prisons’ system is pathetic, appalling, and inexcusable. This is not an isolated case; it goes on all the time in all the prisons. Inmates in federal prison may be viewed as substandard citizens but does that mean they are only entitled to substandard or non-existent healthcare.  As a country, aren’t we better than that?