ACLU sues provider over health care of Mississippi inmates

[Maddy McCall]

ACLU sues provider over health care of Mississippi inmates

By Shelia Byrd
The Associated Press

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the St. Louis-based health care provider for inmates at the State Penitentiary at Parchman, alleging prisoners have been misdiagnosed and received inadequate treatment.

The federal lawsuit against Correctional Medical Services, Inc., one of the nation's largest for-profit medical providers for prisoners, was filed today on behalf of 1,000 inmates at Parchman's Unit 32.

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"Many prisoners who have been requesting medical attention for weeks wind up being taken away from Unit 32 by ambulance, after their condition has become so urgent and life-threatening that it can no longer be ignored by prison staff," the lawsuit states.

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The lawsuit gives several examples of alleged neglect. The ACLU said a misdiagnosis of Jeffery Presley, 24, resulted in him losing a section of his leg. Presley had contracted a serious "staph" infection while in Unit 32, but a CMS doctor diagnosed it as a spider bite.


Much more, very interesting article: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050622/NEWS01/50622008

[jobycom]

1. Hey, I got family at Parchman. Well, former family.

They can forget about his medical care, the way he forgot about his own kids. Otherwise, that sucks, and roll on, ACLU!

[indepat]

2. Nothing to fear for that God-fearing compassionate conservative Haley

Barbour will assure the inmates get their minimum constitutionally-mandated medical care.