"These are men and women suffering in jails, prison, camps and cages around our country. Please sign this petition to show support and demand change for these loved ones behind the wall." - Justice Warriors
Was an inmate's medical needs at the Warren County Regional Jail ignored? Did the State of Kentucky shift blame onto the ill prisoner? You be the JUDGE!
February 19, 2020
***(An inmate at WCRJ in Bowling Green, KY wrote a letter to the KY Dept of Corrections, addressed to Commissioner Kathleen M. Keeny and to the Governors office. The following excerpt is the inmates letter and the State's response.)
Ms. Keeny,
I have been locked up for 6 months in which I have seen the nurse here at Warren County Regional Jail several times over my disease I have which is Hepatitus C and they keep telling me theirs nothing this jail can do for me. I am a state inmate I've got 10 years at 20% Class C felony I was hoping you could see about getting me somewhere that I can get treatment for this very serious and worsening condition I have. Please write back and let me know what steps I need to take to get this issue resolved my name is ********* and my state I.D. number is *******.
Thanks for your time.
***********
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RESPONSE: From Mark Bohleber, Jail Services Specialist
Kentucky Department of Corrections
March 3, 2020
I am responding to the letter that you have written to the Commissioner and the Governor's office regarding your complaints while incarcerated at the Warren County Regional Detention Center.
A review of KOM Kentucky Offenders Management System, there are no entries of you having Hepatitis C precautionary information. During the medical questionaire process that was completed with you on August 23, 2019 when you were processed into the Warren County Detention Center, you failed to notify them regarding that you may have Hepatitis C. During your time there, you have not laced any medical requests regarding your having Hepatitis C or complications from it.
The JAILER has informed me that he will have SOUTHERN HEALTH PARTNERS review this issue with you and if needed testing will be conducted if it is determined that you may have contracted Hepatitis C.
Your concerns have been addressed and will be readdressed with the JAILER.
It is your responsibility if you have a contagious or potentially life threatening issue is to inform the medical and security staff for your benefit and the safety of others.
If you have any further regarding this or other issues at the jail, please address those concerns with the staff at the facility PRIOR to corresponding with this office.
Sincerely,
Mark Bohleber
Cc: Katlynn A. Jordan,
Administrative Specialist 1
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CONCLUSION:
As you can see, BLAME IS SHIFTED back and forth from the JAILER Steve Harmon, to the Medical Staff and back to the JAILER. When inmates medical needs are ignored, they have learned that they can write to the Department of Corrections of Kentucky and even to the Governor himself. Generally, all they do is say that they have no jurisdiction over the medical care at the facility and redirect the inmates back to the same JAILER and MEDICAL STAFF that ignored their problem to begin with. Some of the MEDICAL NEGLECT cases have made it all the way to the Supreme Court, and these cases are quite often determined to be CASE CLOSED, due to some minor technicality . . . especially when the inmates are representing themselves.
STAY TUNED FOR STORY #2 . . . . . .