KConnor56
08-01-2002, 11:39 AM
I received this & though I should pass it along in case anyone may be interested in helping them.----Ken
Hi Everyone,
Some of you may know this and others may not. I am the President of the Florida Chapter of the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition. I wanted to give list members an update on the work of the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition in assisting inmates from across the US who are experiencing serious medical neglect. I know that some of you have heard of our group before and may have even been members at one time.
But things have changed a lot recently. Our numbers of postings have dramatically decreased and I'm assisting listowner Shirley Dicks to ensure that they are strictly on topic. Some of our members have beenwriting up our letterwriting actions in a clear, standard format so that they're easy to act on. We're also recruiting state coordinators to get things going in particular parts of the country. Overall, the
Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition is quickly becoming more of a lean, mean, fighting machine which we feel has the capacity to save a few of the thousands of lives (if not more) lost in prisons and jails across the US each year due to gross medical neglect.
Currently, we have a total of 11 State Chapters in the following states: California, Florida/Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Massachusettes, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee.
Only one problem stands in our way. We are DESPERATELY in need of active list members who will write letters. Prison medical neglect causes easily a hundred times as many deaths a year as the death penalty, but it doesn't have one hundredth of the activists working to stop it. We need people who are willing to write a minimum of just one letter per week to prison officials. You can do this either by joining the list or, if you prefer, by getting me to send you copies of our action alerts off list. If you choose the latter option you will receive around four e-mails from me a week, some of which you
will act on.
I want to finish off by giving you a quick summary of some of the cases we've been working on over the past three weeks so you can understand the need an organisation like ours.
1) We're helping Scott, a middle aged Arkansas inmate
who suffers from Shy Drager's Syndrome, a degenerative
disorder of the nervous system which usually kills
sufferers within ten years. Scott was already quite
sick when he was incarcerated about two years ago, and
was in a wheelchair. Since then he's received no
treatment, testing or medication. His condition has
deteriorated dramatically and he is at risk of death
if his situation is not quickly improved.
2) We're helping Randy, a mentally ill inmate in a
correctional psychiatric facility in Texas. This man
suffers from asthma in addition to his mental illness
and, when he asked for access to an inhaler recently,
he was sedated, laughed at, stripped naked, denied
food and showers, and locked in solitary with cuffs
and shackles on. Eventually he had an asthma attack
and needed emergency treatment. However, once the
danger was passed he was returned to moreorless his
previous situation.
3) We're helping Chad, a young inmate in Texas who is
being denied treatment for his mental illnesses, Lyme
Disease, hypoglycemia, back injury and asthma. Chad
has been without anything ressembling proper treatment
for these conditions for six years now.
4) We're helping Edward, a middle aged inmate in
Nevada who is receiving inadequate treatment for his
brain tumor and neurological dysfunction.
5) We're helping Gregory in Indiana, who is receiving
inadequate and incorrect treatment for his advanced
prostate cancer, kidney problems, and hole in the
lining of the stomach. Prison staff keep insisting
that Gregory must have a sexually transmitted disease
and giving him completely inappropriate treatment.
6) We're helping Amado in Florida whose requests for
access to an asthma inhaler have been met with
declarations that inmates do not deserve medical
treatment.
7) We're helping Troy in Texas who has a severe back
injury that causes him constant pain. Troy needs
surgery, but prison officials have told him that
treatment would be a waste of money as he's a death
row inmate and is going to die anyway.
8) We're helping Margaret in New Jersey, who has
advanced breast cancer. Margaret had already had a
breast removed when she was locked up in 1999, but has
received little treatment since then. Margaret was
told over eighteen months ago that the cancer had
spread to her remaining breast and her bones, but
she's had practically no treatment or painkillers
since then. Margaret is in severe pain and is at risk
of imminent death.
9) We're helping Jimmy in Illinois. Jimmy was
diagnosed with hepatitis C two years ago, but has
received no medical treatment or medication whatsoever
in the past eighteen months. Specialists at Chicago
Hospital tested Jimmy earlier this year and said that
his situation was dire. However, they can't treat him
as the prison doctor refuses to provide them with the
necessary paperwork. Jimmy continues to suffer
extreme pain, periodic nausea and vomiting, fever,
insomnia, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, nosebleeds,
anaemia, a swollen and distended abdomen, and painful
lumps in the liver and colon areas.
10) We're helping Felix, a young Mexican who came to
the US in search of a better life. Felix has been
locked up for immigration violations and is in federal
custody in either Georgia or Florida. It's difficult
to keep track as he's been moved so many times. Felix
underwent surgery a year ago to remove a tumor and
cancerous cells from his throat and stomach, shortly
before he was locked up. He also has a history of
high blood pressure, high lipids, and a severe skin
disorder. Felix has received no medical treatment or
medication except for a few useless pills courtesy of
the prison guards. This is despite a court order back
in May that he receive treatment. Felix currently
suffers from severe stomach pains, nausea, and
alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Felix eats
small amounts just to maintain himself, but
experiences severe pain afterwards. He also suffers
from a severe rash which started on his arms and has
spread to his back. This rash has developed into open
sores which are bleeding and infected.
Thanks for taking some time to read about our work.
If you are able to write just one letter per week that
would really help us make a difference. You can join the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition by going to http://www.jeffdicks.org and signing up.
Tracy
Hi Everyone,
Some of you may know this and others may not. I am the President of the Florida Chapter of the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition. I wanted to give list members an update on the work of the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition in assisting inmates from across the US who are experiencing serious medical neglect. I know that some of you have heard of our group before and may have even been members at one time.
But things have changed a lot recently. Our numbers of postings have dramatically decreased and I'm assisting listowner Shirley Dicks to ensure that they are strictly on topic. Some of our members have beenwriting up our letterwriting actions in a clear, standard format so that they're easy to act on. We're also recruiting state coordinators to get things going in particular parts of the country. Overall, the
Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition is quickly becoming more of a lean, mean, fighting machine which we feel has the capacity to save a few of the thousands of lives (if not more) lost in prisons and jails across the US each year due to gross medical neglect.
Currently, we have a total of 11 State Chapters in the following states: California, Florida/Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Massachusettes, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee.
Only one problem stands in our way. We are DESPERATELY in need of active list members who will write letters. Prison medical neglect causes easily a hundred times as many deaths a year as the death penalty, but it doesn't have one hundredth of the activists working to stop it. We need people who are willing to write a minimum of just one letter per week to prison officials. You can do this either by joining the list or, if you prefer, by getting me to send you copies of our action alerts off list. If you choose the latter option you will receive around four e-mails from me a week, some of which you
will act on.
I want to finish off by giving you a quick summary of some of the cases we've been working on over the past three weeks so you can understand the need an organisation like ours.
1) We're helping Scott, a middle aged Arkansas inmate
who suffers from Shy Drager's Syndrome, a degenerative
disorder of the nervous system which usually kills
sufferers within ten years. Scott was already quite
sick when he was incarcerated about two years ago, and
was in a wheelchair. Since then he's received no
treatment, testing or medication. His condition has
deteriorated dramatically and he is at risk of death
if his situation is not quickly improved.
2) We're helping Randy, a mentally ill inmate in a
correctional psychiatric facility in Texas. This man
suffers from asthma in addition to his mental illness
and, when he asked for access to an inhaler recently,
he was sedated, laughed at, stripped naked, denied
food and showers, and locked in solitary with cuffs
and shackles on. Eventually he had an asthma attack
and needed emergency treatment. However, once the
danger was passed he was returned to moreorless his
previous situation.
3) We're helping Chad, a young inmate in Texas who is
being denied treatment for his mental illnesses, Lyme
Disease, hypoglycemia, back injury and asthma. Chad
has been without anything ressembling proper treatment
for these conditions for six years now.
4) We're helping Edward, a middle aged inmate in
Nevada who is receiving inadequate treatment for his
brain tumor and neurological dysfunction.
5) We're helping Gregory in Indiana, who is receiving
inadequate and incorrect treatment for his advanced
prostate cancer, kidney problems, and hole in the
lining of the stomach. Prison staff keep insisting
that Gregory must have a sexually transmitted disease
and giving him completely inappropriate treatment.
6) We're helping Amado in Florida whose requests for
access to an asthma inhaler have been met with
declarations that inmates do not deserve medical
treatment.
7) We're helping Troy in Texas who has a severe back
injury that causes him constant pain. Troy needs
surgery, but prison officials have told him that
treatment would be a waste of money as he's a death
row inmate and is going to die anyway.
8) We're helping Margaret in New Jersey, who has
advanced breast cancer. Margaret had already had a
breast removed when she was locked up in 1999, but has
received little treatment since then. Margaret was
told over eighteen months ago that the cancer had
spread to her remaining breast and her bones, but
she's had practically no treatment or painkillers
since then. Margaret is in severe pain and is at risk
of imminent death.
9) We're helping Jimmy in Illinois. Jimmy was
diagnosed with hepatitis C two years ago, but has
received no medical treatment or medication whatsoever
in the past eighteen months. Specialists at Chicago
Hospital tested Jimmy earlier this year and said that
his situation was dire. However, they can't treat him
as the prison doctor refuses to provide them with the
necessary paperwork. Jimmy continues to suffer
extreme pain, periodic nausea and vomiting, fever,
insomnia, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, nosebleeds,
anaemia, a swollen and distended abdomen, and painful
lumps in the liver and colon areas.
10) We're helping Felix, a young Mexican who came to
the US in search of a better life. Felix has been
locked up for immigration violations and is in federal
custody in either Georgia or Florida. It's difficult
to keep track as he's been moved so many times. Felix
underwent surgery a year ago to remove a tumor and
cancerous cells from his throat and stomach, shortly
before he was locked up. He also has a history of
high blood pressure, high lipids, and a severe skin
disorder. Felix has received no medical treatment or
medication except for a few useless pills courtesy of
the prison guards. This is despite a court order back
in May that he receive treatment. Felix currently
suffers from severe stomach pains, nausea, and
alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Felix eats
small amounts just to maintain himself, but
experiences severe pain afterwards. He also suffers
from a severe rash which started on his arms and has
spread to his back. This rash has developed into open
sores which are bleeding and infected.
Thanks for taking some time to read about our work.
If you are able to write just one letter per week that
would really help us make a difference. You can join the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition by going to http://www.jeffdicks.org and signing up.
Tracy