Will the Epstein death raise awareness of a big problem?
Amazing how
a high-profile death behind bars suddenly raises interest.
A lot of
people in an uproar these days over the alleged jail cell suicide of Jeffrey
Epstein. Sadly, that kind of stuff goes on all the time. For most of us,
however, it’s out of sight, which means out of mind. This is NOT a new problem.
Recently,
closer to home, television reporters helped narrow the focus on a Muskegon
County jail situation. The coroner ruled it a natural death when a guy died in
his cell. That is, until Channel 8 found that the jail had deprived the
inmate of a critical medication prescribed by his doctor. The inmate suffered
15 seizures over more than three hours, all allegedly unnoticed by guards,
while in a close-observation cell. Then he died. Just another prisoner. No big
deal…until an investigative reporter started sniffing.
Death in
prison is something we deal with on a regular basis, and you wouldn’t like what
we hear and what we know.
The other
day a very good friend, recovering from surgery in the infirmary of Michigan’s
prison for women said, in a personal letter to me: “We lost a
gal here 3 days ago. She took her oxygen off during the night, and left us by
morning. There was no hope left in her.” Routine. Family
notified. Another bed available. Was anybody paying attention?
My hope is
that the Epstein case helps focus on the bigger picture. Many prison
deaths are unnecessary and preventable! Let me tell you something, and
this comes from an office that handles 600-700 calls a month from prisoners,
that responds to 100 complaints a month about inadequate medical care, and that
has a difficult time meeting budget because caring for and about prisoners
doesn’t seem nearly as appealing as rescuing puppies or kittens or whales.
Unless we are working with a family who has someone critically ill behind bars,
or who has had a serious accident while in prison, or who has someone
struggling with unacceptable prison medical care, we cannot attract
interest. Period.
I’m so tired
of people who like to expound on the contention that we are a Christian nation,
and then, in another breath, are totally OK with the concept that prisoners can
be treated like animals. After all, “if they hadn’t committed the crime, they
wouldn’t be doing the time.”
God
created man in His own image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27
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Doug Tjapkes