Under Lock and Key RAIL Radio Program for March 12, 1999

Prisoners' letters and phone calls make it clear:
The denial of adequate medical care in prison is torture and
murder

Welcome to Under Lock and Key, news and commentary about prisons
from the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League. The U.$.
incarcerates a greater percentage of its population than any other
country. The rate for imprisonment of Blacks is 4 times that of
apartheid South Africa, and the U.$. sends more Black men to
prison than college. The purpose of this program is to educate
about, and inspire activism against, the Amerikan lockdown.


PRISONERS WORK WITHOUT PAY AND are BILLED FOR BASIC
NEEDS IN GEORGIA

Georgia Prisoners are now mandated to pay a medical co-payment of
$5.00 per visit for any and all medical and dental care. This law
was passed by the Georgia General Assembly and enforced as of
December 1, 1996. Under this new law, a visit which is initiated
by a prisoner to any prison physician, or medical staff for
examination or treatment costs $5.00.

It matters not that a prisoner in Georgia should be poor or
without funds, he or she will be billed for the $5.00 medical co-
payment. However, upon the first visit to the medical or dental
section, all prisoners are charged $15.00 and $5.00 for each visit
there after. If you are hurt in some manner with respect to a
sports injury, the prisoner will be charged full fees as if you
were free and had to seek medical care.

On the 1st of June 1997, the Georgia Department of Corrections cut
28 prison dentists and dental assistants, citing fewer requests by
prisoners for dental treatment since a $5.00 co-payment was
instituted.

...Fact is, the workload is very high level and there is not, nor
has there ever been enough dental care. The Department has also
just made a new medical contract whereby medical staff will also
be cut in the same manner.

This all started when the Governor of Georgia, Zill Miller had
ordered former Corrections Commissioner, Dr. Allen L. Ault to
QUOTE "find a way, even if he had to charge inmates for medical
services, so that correctional personnel could receive an
additional 5% pay [raise] over what they were being paid."...

Georgia prisoners are not paid for any work performed. They are
paid no attention and placed in the hole if they do not work as
ordered. Thus, it is the indigent prisoners that are effected most
cause they have no family or friends to pay or send in money so
that the medical co-payment can be paid. Thus forcing indigents to
become imprisoned to the Department for medical costs.

Also, it is the families and friends who are actually billed
because they are the ones who work [and get paid]. They send in
their money to the prisoner for personal up-keep (which is
something Georgia does not pay for), but the prisoner isn't
allowed to use the funds due to the medical co-payments. This is
what is called a poll or love tax. The families pay state and
local tax for the very reason of supporting government. Part of
those taxes go to the Department for the up-keep of prisoners and
prisons -- that means medical care as well. But with the new law,
those people sending money into prisons are actually paying twice
for the same services.

...The Georgia Board of Corrections has a Rule that states in part
that "In no instance shall one inmate, his family, or other
individual be required to pay any portion of the fee or expenses
for the inmate's medical or dental treatment." This rule has been
added to Georgia law and is still on the books.

...There are a number of these rulings and I have initiated a
civil action to try and force Georgia to pay its prisoners or not
bill them for medical care.

...It will be a dog-fight for anyone but the only answer is the
courtroom. It seems to be the only thing Georgia officials
understand. Prisoners must take corrective action and fight for
their civil rights. If they don't, who knows what we will face
next.

That letter was from a Georgia Prisoner

The author of this Georgia letter shows a clear understanding of
the laws and history relating to prison medical care. This comrade
has been able to expose the imperialists breaking their own rules
in order to line their pockets. This letter demonstrates the
comrade's hard work, good research and serious dedication.

This prisoner is right to take this battle to the courtroom but we
have to be clear in exposing that there are no guaranteed "rights"
for the oppressed in Amerika. Instead we recognize that inherent
rights do not exist under imperialism. The privileges which the
oppressed gain, are won only through power struggles.

Legal battles are one reformist way to win small gains for the
oppressed. While engaging in these battles we must also expose the
oppression and hypocritical rules of the imperialists. This helps
put pressure on the system and aids in our legal battles while
also building public opinion for ultimately overthrowing the
system. This is one of the main goals of this radio program.

drug war CD 11 free medical in prison 2:49

The November Coalition, recorded Nancy as part of a CD entitled
"Voices from the Drug War." We'll hear from Nancy again later in
the program.

Another new york prisoner writes of MEDICAL AND HYGIENE ABUSES

 I've spent already almost seven years in solitary confinement
isolation and I have stood up for the cause of the struggle and
Prisoner's rights both in prisons and on the streets all the way.

Because of me being able to mobilize thousands of prisoners, I
have been subject to barbaric corporal punishments in large doses.
31 months of bread and cabbage only; three piece, full restraints,
always leg irons cuff behind the back to waist chain. Yet I suffer
from epilepsy and asthma attacks, and 10 other medications I take
for disabilities etc., coming to a total of 12 medications. At the
present time I'm also on deprivation of shower/yard exercise,
haircut, cell cleanup and a pillow.

I'm dying. My blood sugar count is only 29. I suffer from:
Extremely low blood pressure 100/60,
gastritis,
chest pains,
dizziness,
seizures,
asthma,
migraine headaches,
infections,
allergies,
sinusitis and
vomiting blood.

That letter was from a A New York Prisoner

NY PRISONER writes of being DENIED ACCESS TO his MEDICAL RECORDS

I am an inmate at the Fishkill Correctional  Facility and I have a
serious problem  concerning my health. I was given a shot that
they  claim was a Tuberculosis shot. And all of  sudden my life
has changed for the worse.

Since then I have been experiencing life threatening symptoms such
as:
numbness of the head, feet and hands;
a massive amount of weight loss;
sores in my mouth;
face burns;
my hands sweat heavily and
The back of my head has a dent in it that is still sinking in on
me. Both sides of my  face are also sinking in on me.

I weigh no more than 175 pounds, if that. The medical department
is tampering with their scales, because they keep putting in my
records that I weigh 198 - 202 pounds at times. All the above
symptoms are all true but the medical department at Fishkill
Correctional Facilty keep  denying it. I can prove all my
complaints but the medical staff just looks the other way and just
all out lies to cover up what they did to me.

I have my medical records which the medical staff are putting in a
lot of foul stuff. For example  [they say] I've got a mental
problem, but that's another way they are trying to cover up this
problem. I am also having a problem getting my mental health
record from this facility. They tell me the only way they can give
it to me, is if they send them to somebody on the outside....

That letter was from a New York Prisoner

drug war cd track 8 injuury on job 2:42

Nancy was recorded by the November Coalition for a CD entitled
"Voices from the Drug War." The November Coalition can be
contacted on the world wide web at www.november.org

A New Jersey Prisoner expains how Medical Negligence Kills
Prisoners

...At this point here in [New Jersey State Prison], we prisoners
are undergoing yet another transformation imposed upon us by the
Department of Corruption. In July new rules went into effect. As
of the month of October we will not be allowed to receive clothing
packages, food packages or appliances. We are already paying for
inadequate medical services.

In the month of April, three prisoners were allowed to die because
of the negligent practices of the medical staff. Since then two
more inmates have died because of inadequate services. In 1994,
Governor Whitman allowed the Department of Corruptions to give a
company called CMS--or what I call Corrupt Medical Services a
contract knowing that this company had failed to re-sign contracts
with other states' Department of Corruptions because of their
negligence. This company had also requested to NJDOC that they no
longer allow us to receive books on medical terms and health care.

This tells me not only do they want an illiterate population in
here, but they want to continue killing us without being held
accountable.

Your Comrade in Struggle,
 -- A New Jersey Prisoner,

This has been Under Lock and Key, a weekly Revolutionary Anti-
Imperialist League program about prisons. For more information,
contact: RAIL PO Box 712 Amherst MA 01004, or email
RAILRadio@mim.org.