HAMILTON AGED AND INFIRMED LAWSUIT
| Inmates sue prison for aged, infirm
Complain of crowding, lack of medical care
A group of inmates at the state's Aged and Infirmed Unit at Hamilton have sued the state over medical care and crowded conditions at the prison for men with severe illnesses and chronic medical problems. The Southern Center for Human Rights, an Atlanta nonprofit law firm that has won settlements against the Alabama Department of Corrections over conditions at two other prisons, filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of six inmates. About 250 prisoners live in the converted mental health facility, which was designed for 67. A double-wide trailer has been added for 48 prisoners. Many use wheelchairs. Others are blind. Some of the aged prisoners are confined to beds or have Alzheimer's disease. But the building is not outfitted for their needs, the lawsuit states. "Another shocking thing is to have a population of elderly and disabled and severely wounded people in the Department of Corrections, and not to have a full-time physician on staff, and same with a full-time dentist," said Joshua Lipman, an attorney with the Southern Center. Brian Corbett, a spokesman for Corrections, said the department had not had a chance to review details of the complaint. "Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment on specifics within pending litigation," he said. "However, we do feel the level of health care services at Hamilton A&I rise well above minimal constitutional standards." DOC has a contract with Prison Health Services, a private medical company, to provide medical care at state prisons. Dr. Willard Mosier, who oversees that contract in Montgomery, visits Hamilton about once a month. Mosier also fills in at Limestone prison's HIV unit because two doctors hired after the legal settlement over medical care there have resigned. Last week, attorneys with the Southern Center asked a federal judge to hold the state in contempt of court for failing to meet the conditions of that settlement. `Unsanitary conditions': The Hamilton lawsuit lists several allegations that are similar to the shortcomings at Limestone: sick men having to stand in long lines for pills, untrained prisoners providing medical care to fellow prisoners, and medicine shortages. "Prisoners change colostomy bags, bandages and IVs without receiving proper training or supervision," the complaint states. One diabetic prisoner salvages through the trash for shoes because the prison won't provide footwear for his swollen feet, the suit alleges. The complaint also says that geriatric prisoners do not receive timely help to change soiled clothing and bedclothes. "These conditions are unsanitary and expose the elderly prisoner to painful infections, including pressure sores," the complaint states. While most of the complaints concern inadequate staffing and medical care, the complaint described a building that cannot handle all the people housed there. The roof leaks and the plumbing backs up, it says. The lawsuit alleges that several prisoners have died prematurely, but does not list any details. Open wound: After the Southern Center filed its first lawsuits, DOC hired Prison Health Services, replacing Naphcare, the medical company that treated prisoners for the previous three years. Prison Health Services is more expensive, and DOC has said the new provider is solving some of the problems that arose with Naphcare. The lawsuit describes the plight of inmate Terry Van Miller, who uses gauze to cover an open wound in his abdomen. It says he asked to see a doctor and for permission to have his wound closed at a hospital. "I need help now," Miller wrote on one request more than a year ago, when Naphcare was providing health care. The response from the prison's contract medical staff, the lawsuit says, was "not approved by corporate ... you will be rechecked in 3-6 months." Miller, who is serving 15 years for manslaughter, continues to file requests for outside treatment, and they have been denied by Prison Health Services, the lawsuit says. His injury occurred in a car accident before he was incarcerated, according to the lawsuit. E-mail: ccrowder@bhamnews.com
University of Alabama@ Birmingham
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