📍 Who is the petition addressed to:

Lackawanna County Commissioners

President Judge and Treatment Court Staff

PA Department of Corrections

Local and Regional Media

Federal Oversight Authorities

I am Brenda Staerker, MSW, LCSW — a licensed clinical social worker, community advocate, and human being who believes in the dignity and constitutional rights of every person, incarcerated or not.

I’m calling on the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond to take a stand against systemic medical neglect at the Lackawanna County Prison.

Across the last decade, multiple reports and lived experiences have surfaced of incarcerated individuals being:

Denied access to prescribed medications, including SSRIs, HIV meds, insulin and epilepsy treatment.

Forced into dangerous, unsupported withdrawal from methadone, Suboxone, benzodiazepines, and other vital medications — against all clinical guidance.

Subjected to outdated “drug war” logic driven by law enforcement and court preferences, not evidence-based medical care.

Treated by understaffed or underqualified teams, with little oversight or accountability.

These are not rumors. These are patterns — and they have devastating consequences, including suicide, overdose, chronic deterioration, and lifelong trauma.

Even children of incarcerated individuals — especially those affected by addiction — suffer deeply, becoming drug-endangered youth .

What’s worse: these practices are shaped by federal policies that reward counties for punitive drug enforcement, while local courts (such as Treatment Court) allegedly pressure participants to “taper off” evidence-based treatments to be considered in “compliance.”

I know this because I’ve seen it. I’ve worked in it. And I know I’m not alone.

We’re demanding:

1. An independent audit of the Lackawanna County Jail’s medical practices.
2. Immediate adherence to federal and state medical care guidelines, including MAT access.
3. Transparency in formulary restrictions, staffing levels, and medical decision-making.
4. Oversight of Treatment Court and Jail policies that restrict evidence-based care
5. Accountability for judges, providers, and agencies that deny care or substitute medications without consent.

This is about health. This is about human rights. This is about justice.

✍️ Sign this petition to show our elected officials, judges, and media that we demand better — for our incarcerated neighbors, for their families, and for the soul of our community.