Oregon prisons condition report

Central Processing is located out side Portland, Oregon where you are subjected to a week or so of placement test. The first being a medical history. Thi sis the greatest hoax perpetrated against man. If there is anything seriously wrong medically they tell you that it will be taken care of when you arrive at your new home. It is all set up to deny you medical assistance. If it were not for my eleven years in the nursing field I would probably be dead. It seems that the Oregon Legislature has mandated into law what medical treatments the state will consider essential to your health and treat. In the real world these same people would lose their license and be sued by their victims or their survivers…not here in Oregon. In fact, it's required for career advancement. An example being: having a diagnosis of Heaptitis C results in no preventive treatment. Therefore, you not only destroy your liver but shorten your life span just so the DOC can save a few bucks even, I might add, when the falt like with the institutions sewage and water treatment system. (Law suit pending). They do not care. It's all about money.

Once processed you are assigned to one of several prisons scattered throughout the Stae of Oregon. This discussion will focus only on those prisons I was directly involved in.

Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP_ is an institution of gothic proportions. Established in the mid-to-late 1850's, the current institution does not now meet minimum federal standards with extremely undersized two-man cells which are filthy due to a lack of available cleaning equipment. The cells in each block are exposed to a central walkway approximately 4' wide covering the length of the units 48 cells. These cells open onto an atrium 4 to 5 stories high with the opposing wall made of glass windows. The view from your cell is the cell block opposite. Needless to say, the climate control is non-existent with the top tiers being too hot and the lower ones close to freezing. There are numerous broken windows and windows that will not close. The cells are so small that you can almost touch the other side of your cell when your arms are extended.

Because of the drafty conditions and the general layout of the cells there is the ever present danger of serious medical issues. For example: there is supposed to be at least one guard located in a caged area at the entrance to each cell block which any cell on that block can be accessed. These guards are supposed to make hourly rounds to check on the prisoners. However, most of the time the guards are bull shitting down on the main floor. They do not respond to "man down" emergencies as required, and we have lost many an inmate because of the cavalier attitudes towards inmates needs.

The medical conditions at OSP are so substandard it borders on genocide or at the very least, gross negligence. Having a medical background and having never failed a state or federal facility inspection I had to laugh at the certificate issued by the state of Oregon for a superior rating. It's amazing how state agencies cover each others backs. Under a normal unannounced inspection, OSP's health services department would have been closed down with licensed staff (nurses and doctors) being reported to the state licensing board with a high probability that there would be numerous license forfeitures.

Herea re some major medical issues I was personally subjected to. I have a medical diagnosis called Sleep Apnea and use a machine called a C-Pap to assist in breathing while sleeping. When at WASCO County Jail it took me seven months to have my machine authorized for use and then only between the hours of 11pm and 5am. This subjected my heart to a lot of stress. When I was transferred to Central Processing my medical paper work was conveniently lost en route so again I was denied the use of my C-Pap machine. When I complained, what did they do…secure me in a medical isolation cell (usually used for psych evals) for observation. Isn't that some shit! My attorney finally got me out with only minor anxiety problems. At OSP it tok me 4 months with threats from my family and attorney before being allowed to have the use of my machine.

I have a history of kidney stone which the medical staff at OSP were aware of. One morning as I was urinating and noticed that Frank blood was being expelled. I immediately notified the guard on duty about my condition. He said, "fill out a kyte." Under normal circumstances, at the minimum, a nurse would check you out. In my case, the following week I received an appointment with medical staff. I was furious and said my piece. Needless to say I was blackballed from the use of their services for some time.

These two incidences are but a few of many that take place throughout DOC institutions. Where there is no accountability you will find abuse of power and injustice. There is an old staying among the inmates at OSP, "if you have any serious medical issues and have a lot of time to do you can rest assured you will be paroled in a pine box. You are $$$ to these people, nothing more.

-an Oregon Prisoner, March 2003