Health Horror Stories
"These stories of health abuse are not independently verified by the editors of this website. However, all of the women have agreed to a HIPPA release to any qualified attorney willing to take their case, or to an investigative reporter from the media."
They Said I was Faking My Broken Leg – by D.M.
Dateline Lumley: A 62-year-old woman wrote, “I fell down the stairs and my leg really, really hurt. Because I have a high tolerance for pain I thought it was just bruised. I refused initial treatment because I couldn’t afford the $4.00 to see medical.
The pain got worse instead of better. I finally had to ask the yard officers to take me to medical. They informed me that I was “faking it.” I submitted an emergency HNR and was taken to X-ray. The moment the X-ray was developed that called 911 because my femur was broken in two places.
You Wouldn’t Wish it on a Dog – Sold
In the good old summertime…
Waiting – SOLD
So, you think you have a long wait at the doctor’s office?
The Guard Let Me Fall – by J.M.
I went to the hospital for heart failure. Just before I was discharged, I had to go to the bathroom. I'm 72 years old, and they had me shackled with a belly chain, hand cuffs, and feet cuffed. When the female guard started to help me up, she let go too soon and I...
Just Drink Water – by C.A.
I have had Crohn's disease for 6 years before I came to Perryville. Corizon said "it's cured" even though they gave me no treatment for it. The provider prescribed medication for I.B.S. (totally different disease than Crohn's) and that caused me to start throwing up...
Imprisoning America’s Mentally Ill
by Edward Lyon published in Prison Legal News February, 2019, page 22 Since the 1962 publication of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a mirror image of the best-selling novel’s plot has played out in U.S. prisons. Author Ken Kasey wrote a work of fiction about a...
Inmate 1997 – Interview
You may have met IM 1997 and her C.O.P.D. story here on the Smoking page, but this is what happened to her in regards to cancer. She discovered a lump in her upper-left breast in 2008. The mammogram did not show it because the lump was too far above the scope of the...
Elder Abuse at Perryville
This is not an isolated case of elder abuse at the women's prison. Sgt. G admitted to an inmate that cases of inmate elder abuse are too common here. The latest example was a 64 year old lady who uses a cane. Her 20 year old room mate didn't want to room "with an old...
Unsanitary Living Conditions
Dept. of Corrections expects us to clean our room but does not provide the necessary means to do so. We wash our floors with Suave shampoo. Shampoo is not going to kill the stomach flu or worse bacteria such as Hep C. We used to get cleaner that was blue like window...
Society, Are You Afraid of Us?
We are in our 60's, 70's, and 80's. Here is a picture of "pill call" at 9:30 am, 365 days a year, where we line up in front of Medical. Everyone in this sketch is a first-time "offender." What are we thinking? That we are resigned to leaving prison feet first, not...
Crumbling Infrastructure
This image is a watercolor (because no photographs in prison) in "B" yard, Santa Cruz unit. This is the rule, NOT the exception.
On the Inside: The Chaos of Arizona Prison Health Care
The Arizona Department of Corrections contracts with privately owned correctional health care company Corizon Health to oversee all medical, mental and dental care at 10 state prisons. However, that care has come under scrutiny in federal court. Read more: ...
Corizon Loses Indiana DOC Medical Contract Amid Lawsuits
Originally published OCT. 10, 2017 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News October, 2017, page 44 by David Reutter In 2005, at the urging of then-Governor Mitch Daniels, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) awarded a contract to privatize medical care...
Numerous Lawsuits Filed Against Corizon Nationwide; Company Loses Contracts
Originally published AUG. 30, 2017 by Matthew Clarke published in Prison Legal News September, 2017, page 32 by Matt Clark Corizon Health is one of the nation's largest for-profit medical providers for prisons and jails. Recent lawsuits against the company, however,...
I was in prison for 17years and have seen so many people die in front of me It’s traumatic and I have PTSD from it. Medical never helped me for my heart problems, never took tests, just told me I have congested heart failure and didn’t do anything for me. I saw it every day. They never helped us, made us always feel like we were lying and would send us away. Making people work in the kitchen who have scoliosis, heart problems, people who have AIDS and Hep C as well as other STDs. There’s rat poop on our kitchen food, birds all over our trays that we eat off of making us all even sicker, black mold everywhere. We can’t breathe in our cells due to all the mold and crud in our walls, vents, and coolers. They are trying to kill us – they don’t care and the money they get for us does not go to us. There is so much more.
I’ve been sexually attacked by the CO police officers twice. I have my whole life to account for in there and I’m surprised I made it out after 17years. They have medium inmates on max yards getting assaulted and they don’t care. They say it is due to no room. They also send you to max yard as punishment without ever getting tickets. It’s all retaliation. They will ruin your life if you don’t do what they want. They make up lies, yep the sergeants, if you refuse to work because you don’t feel good. I heard a Sergeant say “Oh you’re going to hurt yourself” then cuff her up and put her in isolation when the girl never said it. I’ve seen it all, believe that.