"These are men and women suffering in jail, prisons, 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

"The eighth ammendment provides prisoners with limited rights of protection against cruel and unusual punishment during the course of confinement. These rights extend to the existence of humane living conditions, adequate medical care, and protection from violence by other inmates." -- ofp.gov/prison-overcrowding-eighth-amendments

Humans should NOT have to BEG JAIL STAFF, JAILERS AND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO TREAT THEM humanely. The following story highlights what one person at Warren County Jail, in Bowling Green, Kentucky has had to endure. Thank you for reading!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

***(A mother calls in about her mentally ill son, who is suicidal and has a diagnosis of AIDS. She has to call in NUMEROUS times in order to draw attention to his needs. )

***The following are copies of emails between department heads at Kentucky D.O.C.. It shows how they handle serious accusations and the end result is most often: DENIAL, DEFLECTION, DELEGATION & DISTANCING. It is NEVER D.O.C.'s problem, and ALWAYS the responsibility of the Medical Staff & Jailer. So, that leads us to the valid question . . . WHO EXACTLY should inmates file complaints to? D.O.C.? Jailer? Journalists? WHO is actively listening?

That depends somewhat on whether they are State, Federal or County Inmates. Regardless, the answer from those in charge basically is that the Warren County Regional Jail in Kentucky, is being paid to handle complaints and the medical staff is under contract not only with the Jail, but also must abide by State Nursing Laws. NO ONE is taking charge and Blame Shifting is the norm; this is resulting in multitudes of people suffering unnecessarily.

They are told to file grievances with the Jailer, but when they do and their complaint is investigated by the jailer the response is contorted and the answer has little to do with their original complaint. Therefore, inmates either give up and forget about it and suffer in silence, OR they persist filing grievance upon grievance. One inmate I spoke with said that she was "pulled into a meeting and told to 'STOP FILING MEDICAL REQUESTS & GRIEVANCES' and 'It's only COSTING YOU MORE MONEY and filing more grievances is getting you nowhere.' " IMAGINE THAT! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DEPT HEADS AT Kentucky D.O.C.:

*Initial email came from Nicole Dempsey at DOC.

(From: Heather Meredith -- To: Harley Allen)

January 28,2022

Good Afternoon!!!

I received this voicemail this morning and Ms. ****** has CALLED Officer Wilson ***MULTIPLE TIMES. I'm going to call her back but the issue seems to be ***more with the CONDITIONS OF THE JAIL than the reason for his incarceration. 

I'M JUST GOING TO ADVISE that her CONCERNS have been FORWARDED to the APPROPRIATE PARTIES and will be addressed  IF NEEDED.

Thank you and WELCOME BACK! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

***(Harley Allen had left the D.O.C. for a couple of years but was recently reemployed for the State, under a new position and a pay cut.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(The last correspondence in this particular email update, is from 'Harley Allen' and sent to 'Tamra R McMichael' at D.O.C.)

January 28, 2022

I contacted Jailer Harmon via email to ascertain ******** status and received this info:

****came into custody on ****and was placed on SUICIDE WATCH by Medical Staff. ***was in a smaller cell with other inmates due to quarantine and testing status. Since the results of his COVID test came back negative  - he has been MOVED TO A SUICIDE WATCH CELL and is currently WITH 3 OTHER INMATES.

I believe **THIS PARTICULAR CELL HOLDS 10. The QUARANTINE SPACE FOR SUICIDE WATCH has made HOUSING DIFFICULT.

***has MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES and is HIV POSITIVE.

***has been here 14 times and his mother calls medical and jail staff frequently every time he is incarcerated.

**** has chart notes documented 6 times in his chart since his intake on 1/21/22 and one of those is by the psychiatric nurse. ***HE HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED OF SUICIDE WATCH BY MEDICAL at the time of this email.

***Upon intake and getting his medical records -- he started receiving medications 1/26/22 according to his MAR in medical. As for the SUICIDE SMOCK, he absolutely had one and was NOT FORCED to be NUDE at any time. 

At 4:14pm I called ***** I advised her that her son was initially in a smaller cell with other inmates due to quarantine and testing status and that he tested negative for COVID. I advised that he was then moved to a suicide watch cell  and with 3 other inmates. He is pending review on his watch status and started receiving medications 1/26/22.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION:

Heather Meredith attested to the fact that the mother was gravely concerned about her son's lack of medical care, his being held in a cell with several other inmates and at the time was not receiving his medications for mental illness. 

This obviously was adding to his mental health crisis and pushing him to become more and more out of balance. The mother conveyed that she was informed that her son was FORCED to be in the NUDE in the "Suicide Watch Cell." 

After emailing Jailer Steve Harmon, Harley is told by Jailer Harmon that this man was "NOT forced to be NUDE without a Suicide Smock." Oh! Well, that just clears the air now doesn't it!? It's good they both have the same story.

We MUST ASK OURSELVES, "WHY would a mother continually call this jail 'every time her son is incarcerated' if there wasn't a PROBLEM with the Medical Care at this facility? Why was she fearful? Was she just some overbearing helicopter mom? From all of the evidence I have seen and heard, I would say "NO! This mother has LEGITIMATE CONCERNS."

***The SUICIDE WATCH CELLS that SHOULD ONLY HOLD 1 PERSON actually have up to 3 ADDITIONAL FLOOR MATS thrown in the jail cell.

***If a suicidal inmate has to use the restroom at night, one of the other inmates has to get up and move their bedding; which is right up under the toilet area.

So, not only are the jail employees watching them, but so are the other 3 suicidal inmates that are crowded up in the cell. Jailer Steve Harmon recently commented in a local newspaper that Warren County Jail is overpopulated. The answer is NOT to create more jail space and increase tax dollars, the answer is to create more OUTREACH PROGRAMS for at risk citizens that have mental illness, addiction and poverty. 

***Please read STORY #5 - PART 2 tomorrow, and you will hear real-life stories from others that have been in the "Suicide Watch Cell" on Warren County, KY Jail's "Human Suffering Row."

Thank you for reading! PLEASE SIGN & SHARE!!!

"American Prisoners & Jail Inmates MEDICAL NEGLECT. Run around -- Run around. Out of Sight -- Out of Mind. These are the FORGOTTEN people of America." -- ST