health Care DOC style

 background: today's date 5 7 24 not sleeping because cannot figure out where to go with crisis cases. My mail takes two to three weeks to get to prisoners now that we have third part mailing ( textbehind) and all incoming mail is sent first to be scanned and copied in Maryland. They have new tablets which at my last attempt do not have a way for me to have an account for the whole system- I cannot sign up for each individual prisoner and all the rest is cobble-have to establish regular communication with the most vulnerable prisoners- those in Green Bay and Waupun. My phone is ringing non stop throughout the day and I answer some-it is arbitrary who I answer as I have no way to tell who is calling -thru a newsletter will try to establish office hours. 

Deaths- there have been 6 deaths in WCI since pandemic. WE have had letters about several .Some of them state that staff refused to intervene. letting the prisoner die. We have confirmed that this happens systemwide-staff ignoring pleas for help.

Deron Love concern for his own safety and the death or another:

Three top of mind

Derek Hooten 645796 WCI

HOOTEN, DEREK L 645796 WCI 1999,33  notes from 1st call:

In Hole for frivolous CRs/PRC’d to medium february 7^th/Bad conduct History last time at WCI/release in 2021/revoked with new charge and  fighting case, dismissal sought/Capt TRITT IN wci said NO JOB Cause leaving/ he is a medium inmate in a Max custody, wrote SD with no response/sent to the hole for throwing trash out of cell/ thinks retaliation.

Revocation was all over the news

Write warden and madison

Sent Badger guide and PHI and non health release forms, JHLM and JHLH contents and cr and cv apps 

Derek Hooten 645796 WCI: of particular concern is this man. he was calling frequently , was super anxious and his claims seemed outrageous- He had been a real discipline problem when he was first incarcerated and WCI and was transferred out and is not back and says he is being retaliated against big time. One of the COs read his pin number out loud and an inmate stole his information and had been calling his daughter and wife and harassing them. Like wise he lost most his property to stealing and also the headphones to his tablet. He write complaints and follows all the rules to make sure he gives no real reason for negative action.by the DOC but circumstances escalate- I tried calling his family but they do not pick up- and things escalated as he requested to be transfer out. 

The funny thing is that he had been PRC'd to medium in March but WCI will not let him go. And they tell him it will be a year before he can leave. He speaks of feeling suicidal. 

 In his last call  he said he had been screened at a hospital and they told him he had food poisoning. I thought this was his hysteria again and asked him to sign a HIPPA form for me so I could see what they actually said. I told him while I try to get him the new headphones he can work on getting the HIPPA form signed . He believes that once he has the headphones and can use the tablet, he will be able to communicate with his family and calm down, - he said he had been trying but to get the form but they would not give him the form. I have called his HSU and security. I could not get through to security and HSU took my message but said the form was not filled out. I asked them to take him the form and they said he must ask- and we went round in circles. 

For the headphones too, we are unsuccessful- the numbers Derek gave me for them do not exist and I need to find out what head phone s work with the new tablets- I emailed Marcus and they did not know- I will email unions supply and the DOC secretary's team. 

My concern about Derek went sky high when I looked up his DOC number- he is only 33- I thought the was much older- he is so vulnerable to all this and has NO support at this time. And I have not heard form him in over a week and his concern over food poisoning is much great now that other prisoners are expressing similar concerns ( see next entry). I have mailed him the HIPPA form health and non health but it will take forever to get to him- am trying other ways to communicate. 

Jeff Poff 390966 WCI

Jeff Poff 390966 WCI
Jeff Poff on conditions of confinement and suicides: ( transcription coming)

Jeff on Cockroach and rat infestation 

jeff Poff innocent blog:

I have known this many since I started this work. Son of a gang leader, he has always been a target and has ben trying to prove his innocence and that he was framed by members of a rival gang- he has testimony of those who framed him etc. Through the years he has transformed from a cutup to an activist and and with this latest drama, I believe he will be serious about learning the law so he can litigate on his most pressing issues. At present he is an important source of information about his own situation and conditions generally. 

Jeff has been calling and writing about the food being served Muslim prisoners observing Ramadan - every day the single meal was the same "rotten cold cuts" and he would list all the items. and state he and others were feeling sick with it .  I emailed the DOC secretary public line and they said all institutions are mandated to have the same Ramadan menu . They did not address the "rotten" part of the complaint or that the coldcuts were never varied and the prisoners felt sick.

On May 5th jeff called that he had  a fever of 105 degrees , was vomiting blood and could not keep food down . The nurses kept taking his temperature and giving him tylenol  and telling him they could do nothing more without the provider's prescription. They would not call the provider or send him to the hospital. I asked him to make sure his HIPPA form was updated. He called the next day saying he was still vomiting blood and CO "Vincent" watched him for many minutes and could testify to that. His fever was down but he still could not eat, is vomiting  and he is sending me names of  6 others with the same symptoms. Jeff also said he had updated his Hippa form.When I called, Nurse "Jenna" said the hippa was not in his charts. She took my message but coull dnot comment.

I asked her what criteria WCI had for when to call the provider . I said that other nurses have told me they could not call unless the situation was life threatening. She said she could not comment on policy. I told he this was an important issue as prisoner have no trust in HSU as they require a "Blue slip" before seeing anyone and with that charge a copay and then te appointment consists of them telling the prisoner they can do nothing. When pressed with this information, she said that nurses do have the discretion to call the provider- it is up to them. I have done an open records request to the criteria used by the "special needs committee and will post it here. 

Background to my concern about these prisoners:

we have learned through  letters written in the lightest pencil by prisoners in solitary that when cirses occur with prisoners the staff does not intervene. I transcribe these letters as they wil not scan  and will paste two of them- This shows the level of indifference, We also learn form family members that document  in charts are disappeared and lying is sometimes standard practice. I find none of my usual advocacy works in GBCI and WCI and rarely in the other prisons anymore. Hence this web attempt.

People die in these prisons unnecessarily and there are no consequences for those responsible.