Boy, can I tell you some good stories about the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Recently they have resorted to stealing from the inmate trust fund, through medical co-pay, as they call it.
For example, I was injured while working at the unit's garment factory. I did not volunteer or ask to work there -- I was assigned to work there without pay, and failure to work would result in a disciplinary case.
So while working on a sewing machine accidentally a needle went through my finger, and blood was everywhere. So I myself cleaned the wound as best I could. Next day when I woke up I had this terrible pain on my finger and felt my heart pounding in it. As I looked at it, it was bigger than my thumb, and red, blue, yellow and purple. So I told my supervisor. She in turn made an accident report, and I was rushed to the unit's infirmary. Everyone looked at it, and I was finally given a pill -- and charged $3 for services rendered. I was only given one pill.
To this date I have failed to get a refund, because everyone says it was an appropriate charge. Also, I am a diabetic, age 58.
-- A Texas Prisoner, June 2004
MIM responds: MIM has long opposed the policy of mandating work for no pay in Texas -- and penalizing prisoners who can't work for medical reasons even while denying them decent medical care. Please continue to send reports on these abuses. Download copies of our petition, "No Punishment for Sick Leave in Texas Prisons" and collect signatures to help with this battle.