I'm writing again...but I'm not happy!
The climate
in this country is noxious! It’s doing
nobody any good, I swear.
People look
at our blog site…no new entries. Honestly, I don’t even feel like writing! My job, and the job of this fine group of
people working with me, is to care for people…and it keeps feeling like nobody
cares for people anywhere anymore! When
it happens on the national level, I get the sinking feeling that maybe nobody
cares down here, either.
Annie’s still in a wheelchair in the women’s prison,
and still missing lunches because she can get no one to push the chair for her,
and the staff members insist that she must find her own pusher.
Danny is
innocent, and a former Parole Board member not only knows it but has
information that could help Danny obtain freedom. But he won’t respond.
David has sleep apnea, and he needs a C-Pap. He had one before he came to prison three
years ago, but a prison doctor said his problem wasn’t all that serious and
they made him send the equipment home.
He’s waking up gasping, our doctors say the situation is
life-threatening, but nobody’s doing anything!
Sara came to prison two years ago with a temporary
upper plate…it wasn’t meant to last and finally broke. Now she can hardly eat. The prison dentist says she must wait two
years for a replacement.
Billy was scheduled to get a compassionate release from
the Parole Board because he has terminal cancer, but now a prison medical
person with questionable credentials said this is a lie, so the Parole Board
refused his release.
Linda is a diabetic whose blood sugar levels are so out
of balance it’s life threatening…but no one is listening.
I just want
you to know that, regardless of what is happening on the national level---and I
know that it’s all terribly important to all of us---crap is still happening on
the local level, too! And one agency
that I know of is handling a record number of more than 300 calls a month to
try to respond!
We’re
blessed to have a battery of volunteers and professionals willing to step up to
the plate, and we’re doing our best to not only deal with issues, but let prisoners
know that someone cares. Even if we can't solve every problem, kindness and compassion work wonders.
It’s our
role: seeking to model Jesus, touching lives.
We need you,
too. Prayers. Money. Even just attaboys!
Comments
a. Or Annie could ask the officer on duty if someone (an inmate) who has extra duty can push her until they fill the position of a wheelchair aid in the unit.
b. Annie can also speak to a lieutenant in the chow hall during each meal time and tell them about her issue.
c. Document, Document, Document.
2) Sara can seek repair of her partial before 2 years if it is an emergency issue. The problem in prison is there are many people w/o teeth and it is not considered an emergency situation. However if she came to prison 2 years ago she should now be able to get a replacement partial.
a. If Sara has the resources I believe family can seek dental care for her outside of the prison with approval of the prison.
b. Document, Document, Document
3) With Linda the most that can be said is sadly most often it will take a drastic circumstance for her to receive treatment. Which can inc. "passing out" laying on the floor while others inform the officer. At which time they will get you a wheelchair and take you to medical.
Disclaimer: The above was provided purely for informational purposes. It is not considered to be legal advice. If you have legal questions you should seek legal assistance from an attorney. The communication has been provided and is protected by and through the free speech clause of the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Hopefully you will find the information helpful. God Bless you Doug and the Team at Humanity For Prisoners. Keep up the great work! It truly means more than can ever be expressed in words.
I just want to clarify. It is not an upper partial, it is a full upper denture. It was a temporary one and it broke. She asked them if they could try to glue it and they refused even that. She stated she does have money to pay for a new one and was told, "No, you can't have a new one because not everyone has money and that wouldn't be fair."
Hopefully this letter will help get things moving. I am hoping they will replace it through dental within the prison as it would be cheaper and she doesn't have unlimited money. They said it would be $250 per hour for the guards to take her to a private dentist. We will go that route if push comes to shove.