on Michigan's prison system: a trainwreck

I'm wondering what it's going to take to bring about changes---real changes---in the Michigan prison system. I was hoping that something as simple as a change of state administrations would make the difference. So far, what we're seeing is very disappointing.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine was raped in his cell by his cell-mate, a convicted sex offender. Instead of owning up to the problem and doing something about it, staff members tried to get him to admit the act was consensual, promising a prison transfer if he cooperated. The offender was given a ticket and was found guilty. Big deal. That helps my friend a lot.

Last week a teenager in prison asked his mom to contact me about a fellow prisoner, a 25-year old mentally challenged inmate who doesn't know how to behave properly. But as a result, guards seem to think that brutal punishment will improve his mental status. The teenager claims that officers tried choking him and assaulting him to bring about proper behavior, and then wouldn't feed him for an entire day shift. No word that the corrective action helped.

A few days ago a beautiful Christian man in prison whom I trust implicitly begged me to get involved. A fellow prisoner, age 48, is in pain because of a disc problem (if you haven't had back pain, you have no idea how rotten this can be). The doctor, he says, discontinued the prisoner's medication. Worse than that is an undiagnosed problem that results in pain in the prisoner's abdomen and groin areas. He has complained of issues with his heart,too, but was not given an ekg or any other type of tests. I don't know how serious all of this is, but I know the story teller, and he's not making things up. Isn't this why we have doctors in prison?

I tell you all of this because one of the major concerns of HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS is appropriate medical care. We're the first to admit that prisoners are not entitled to exotic, cosmetic surgery. We'll also admit that prisoners can be a real pain, and without question give doctors headaches. But we don't approve of torture in this country, and that includes refusal to provide adequate medical care in prison.

We'll keep on picking up the legitimate battles of untreated prisoners with your continued help and support, but that's doing nothing about the bigger problem. If you live in Michigan and are a registered voter, you CAN do something about it. Shame on you if you don't.

Comments

BRAKERFRAME said…
IM AN EX PRISONER AND WAS TREATED VERY BADLY IN PRISON.IVE SEEN ANIMAL SHELTERS TREAT ANIMALS BETTER I UNDERSTAND WE ARE THERE 4 PUNISHMENT BUT THE THINGS THEY DO THERE ARE IN HUMANE THEY WERE FEEDING US TURKEY MEAT IN A CAN THAT SAID NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION..MICE IN THE CEREAL BOXES AND THE COOKS WERE INSTRUCTED TO SCRAPE OUT THE AREA WHERE THE MICE WERE EATING AND FEED THE REST TO THE PRISONERS. THE OFFICERS WOULD WRITE FAKE TICKETS WHEN THE INMATES WOULD COME UP FOR PAROLE SO THEY WOULD GET DENIED.THE WARDEN AT PUGSLEY HAS HAD HIS PLUMBING CO THERE FOR 2 YEARS IM SURE HE WAS GETTING A KICK BACK HOW MUCH YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH PLUMBING IN 2 YEARS THEY WOULD THROW AWAY EQIPMENT IN THE TRASH SO THEY COULD BUY NEW AND THE OFFICERS WOULD GO RETRIEVE IT FROM THE TRASH AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY WE HAVE BUDGET PROBLEMS. THEY ALWAYS SCARE PEOPLE SAYING PRISONERS ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED BUT MICHIGAN IS SENDING EVERYONE TO PRISON THIS WAS MY FIRST FELONY I ONLY HAD 2 MISDEMEANORS IN MY PAST I DIDN'T NEED TO BE SENT TO PRISON I HAD ALREADY STRAIGHTENED MY LIFE OUT BEFORE I WENT BUT THIS RUINED MY WHOLE FAMILY NOW MY SON HAS RAN AWAY AND ENDED UP IN THE YOUTH HOME OUR SYTEM HURTS MORE THAN IT HELPS FOR SURE AND THESE PEOPLE RUNNING IT ARE JUST AS BIG OF CRIMINALS AS THE INMATES THAT ARE THERE....
June 4, 2011 at 11:08 AM
BRAKERFRAME said…
IM AN EX PRISONER AND WAS TREATED VERY BADLY IN PRISON.IVE SEEN ANIMAL SHELTERS TREAT ANIMALS BETTER I UNDERSTAND WE ARE THERE 4 PUNISHMENT BUT THE THINGS THEY DO THERE ARE IN HUMANE THEY WERE FEEDING US TURKEY MEAT IN A CAN THAT SAID NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION..MICE IN THE CEREAL BOXES AND THE COOKS WERE INSTRUCTED TO SCRAPE OUT THE AREA WHERE THE MICE WERE EATING AND FEED THE REST TO THE PRISONERS. THE OFFICERS WOULD WRITE FAKE TICKETS WHEN THE INMATES WOULD COME UP FOR PAROLE SO THEY WOULD GET DENIED.THE WARDEN AT PUGSLEY HAS HAD HIS PLUMBING CO THERE FOR 2 YEARS IM SURE HE WAS GETTING A KICK BACK HOW MUCH YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH PLUMBING IN 2 YEARS THEY WOULD THROW AWAY EQIPMENT IN THE TRASH SO THEY COULD BUY NEW AND THE OFFICERS WOULD GO RETRIEVE IT FROM THE TRASH AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY WE HAVE BUDGET PROBLEMS. THEY ALWAYS SCARE PEOPLE SAYING PRISONERS ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED BUT MICHIGAN IS SENDING EVERYONE TO PRISON THIS WAS MY FIRST FELONY I ONLY HAD 2 MISDEMEANORS IN MY PAST I DIDN'T NEED TO BE SENT TO PRISON I HAD ALREADY STRAIGHTENED MY LIFE OUT BEFORE I WENT BUT THIS RUINED MY WHOLE FAMILY NOW MY SON HAS RAN AWAY AND ENDED UP IN THE YOUTH HOME OUR SYTEM HURTS MORE THAN IT HELPS FOR SURE AND THESE PEOPLE RUNNING IT ARE JUST AS BIG OF CRIMINALS AS THE INMATES THAT ARE THERE....

June 4, 2011 11:08 AM
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June 4, 2011 at 11:14 AM
sew be happy said…
Michigan is not doing anything to release prisoners. They are cutting the guards pay and assessing mdoc workers to pay more for healthcare but nothing for the prisoners. I sincerely believe that over 50 percent of all persons incarcerated should not have been sent to prison in the first place. I believe that some judges are getting kickbacks for long unnecessary sentences. What happened to good time? Why won't they bring that back? I know a prisoner that has 6 inch long parasites that are eating him up yet mdoc will not treat him. The Michigan Prison System needs to be overhauled. It is just a money maker for a handful of powerful people who need to be in jail too.
July 2, 2011 at 12:08 PM
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