I recently did 16 months at FPC, Alderson. Although I was a WV state boarder there and not a federal inmate, I would be glad to answer any questions anyone has about the facility.

Thanks for your offer of info. FedCURE just received a letter about a prisoner who died in July at FPC Alderson named Brenda Thompson. She died two weeks after self-surrendering at the gate with her heart medication in hand. The BOP felt she didn't need the medication so they refused to prescribe it for her. She complained of chest pain and they told her to go to sick call where they refused to give her heart medication because they said she was faking. Now she is dead. If you or anyone else can help us out with information on this, we would really appreciate it.

That's a very sad story! You would think that if an outside doctor prescribed vital medication that the prison would give it to her too.

I see this every day of the week with the BOP facilities across the country. Director Lappin appointed a medical liaison for FedCURE on these issues, but if people don't tell us about them there isn't much we can do to help. Did you know that medical personnel do not have to be licensed to practice medicine to work for the BOP? Pretty scary thought. When I was at FPC Lexington a PA there refused to administer medical treatment that I needed. I wrote the state medical board to inquire about her license status. They wrote me back and said she didn't have a license. The camp admininistrator called me into her office and told me I was a threat to institutional security and if I showed the letter to anyone she would personally see that I was transferred. Another indication of how they cover up their wrongs.

I am still in touch with some people at Alderson and had heard about this lady's death, but no details. This is the second death at Alderson since I left there this past January. In fact, the woman who passed away before Ms. Thompson, died in my old bunk, and pretty much for the same reason! I don't know if you are familar with the compound at this camp, but it is physically challenging to say the least. There is a lot of walking up and down some fairly steep hills, and you have to walk everywhere for everything. Even if you are healthy, it takes a lot of effort. There have been a lot of changes in the medical staff at Alderson in the last 12 months and obviously not for the better. I was deathly ill last September with pneumonia, and had it not been for a CO raising pure hell with Health Services I don't know what would have happened. My blood oxygen levels were in the 70's and I was already gray! They cannot be practicing standard levels of care!

I have yet to see a BOP facility whose medical care came anywhere near the "same standard of care of those in the community in which the facility is located." (Their standards as stated in their program statement) I see unlicensed medical personnel who are immune from malpractice suits ignoring critical healthcare needs of prisoners. If you haven't read the book "Convict Criminology" by Stephen C. Richards and Jeffrey Ian Ross, there is an excellent chapter about BOP medical care written by Daniel Murphy who is a former federal prisoner.

How soon can you have visitors at Alderson?