Comments on: Florida Dept. Of Corrections Targets Problems With Inmate Health Care

By: Patricia Oliver

Patricia Oliver — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 17:49:58 +0000

Personally, I think that all prisoners should receive BASIC medical care, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not the Hyatt Regency after all, and nobody’s fault but their own as to why they’re incarcerated!

By: Carol Gay Reed

Carol Gay Reed — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:58:17 +0000

I used to be a nurse for FDOC (at NWFRC) I worked for 23 1/2 years before being forced to retire due to COrizon taking over – I was not offered a job at another state facility (ie Dept. of health) to do 1 1/2 years so I could draw full retirement. I was also repremanded when I got my letter stating I was beign terminated and Corizon was taking over – I emailed the governor’s office (from his “email the governor” link on the state website) And expressed my opinion that privitazion was a wrong move. I was repremanded and told I was nto allowed to contact the governor’s office with my concerns while a state employee… guess my right to freedom of speech was taken away when DOC hired me …

By: Concerned

Concerned — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 14:50:42 +0000

Some of these problems were in existence within the Florida Dept. of Corrections prior to Corizon coming on board. For years, I have heard inmates say they would rather die than go back to a specific medical center. There, the treatment is hit or miss, the professional medical staff is rude and the officers are downright abusive. I’m sure staff at other facilities have heard the same thing. To place all the blame on Corizon is not going to fix the root problem. Have inmates suffered more since Corizon took contract? Maybe. That remains to be seen. Will getting rid of Corizon magically solve the issue? Hardly.

By: Jackson

Jackson — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:10:21 +0000

Let’s not forget…the non-medical professionals at all these sites are mostly the dedicated past employees of FDOC who had no other choice, in many cases, to stay and be “absorbed” in Corizon’s world. They are victims as well; abiding by Corizon rules, regulations, massive daily, weekly and monthly reports that take a mass amount of the non-medical professional Supervisor’s time and energy. The non-medical supervisors log hours and hours and hours of weekly overtime with no extra pay; they are salary. If Corizon gives you a “final notice”, that’s it, no other previous notice or chance, you are doomed to be fired, after you had been with FDOC for many, many years as a FAITHFUL employee. Many of these former FDOC employees HAD to give up all the investing in their retirements they had been doing for years as a FDOC employee. When money is the object of the Governor’s desires then nothing else is considered!

By: Jennell Bates

Jennell Bates — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:23:19 +0000

Kudos to Secretary Crews! Some institutions have been without physicians and dentists for months. When DOC was over health services, every institution had a full time psychologist on staff daily. Most facilities now only have a psychologist one day per week. There’s no way these institutions can meet standards not having adequate staffing. One dentist is also not adequate for 2300 inmates. Dental services is provided by the same contractor that lost their contract a few years ago, Smallwood. Corizin has requested additional funding from the Governor more than once and received it. It’s time this company either provided adequate staffing immediately or lose the contract. In North Florida, several administrators and director of nurses have resigned due to this organizations demands on them which is unreasonable with their staffing. Enough is enough!

By: Native

Native — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 20:44:54 +0000

Please just let the State of Florida manage inmates medical and mental health care one again. Using inmates as cash cows by a for profit company is a dangerous formula to cut corners and unethically let people die. Anyone in the medical and mental health profession is torn by their conscious to do no harm. No wonder so professionals are leaving the prison. God sees it all. Do the right thing and give it back. It is the ethical thing to do and will result in less law suits all the way around.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:33:11 +0000

REGARDING:
“The company’s decisions are driven by the dollar bill, not client care. State employees were told staffing patterns would remain the same. BUT, Staffing was cut in half at some camps, leaving those who remained overworked and challenged for being incompetent. Corizon has justified these inadequate staffing patterns, but the standard of care is not being met, resulting in failed audits”

If money is the motivator, use money to get results. Be sure the contract spells out the level of care expected and don’t pay for less. Make sure failure to meet contractual care levels is also criminal in law rather than just in culture.

If they don’t do their job, let the CEO and others get on the other side of the question in prison themselves.

David for justice so others can see what it looks like

By: katherine

katherine — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:53:09 +0000

Thank you Mr. Crews. I am very thankful for you. I hope and pray you will be able to help all inmates. The pain and suffering is too great.

By: Sassy

Sassy — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 14:06:52 +0000

I agree (100%) with Hank! We can thank Rick Scott for awarding Corizon the contract. It’s a known fact that many of these companies have horrible reputations for not caring (medical, mental health, etc.) for the inmates and in some cases allowing their health to deteriorate to the point where some of them die. MSNBC did a piece on these type of companies and their “main goal” is to make MONEY!

By: Gloria Bishop

Gloria Bishop — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 23:17:17 +0000

About Corizon :My son had colon cancer surgery. He has been denied to see an oncologist. He has a very large and bad hernia which caused him excruciating pain. To no avail. Someone in Tallahassee has to approve for him to see a surgeon or an oncologist. Thus far no one has approved There is always a reason and his requests had always been denied even when the “doctor ” gives approval. At this point we do not know if his cancer is active or not. They consider a hernia non life threatening.I have called numerous times medical records. They have to go by the rules.
One inmate died about a month ago. He was in the dorm where my son is. No excuse for his death. was it too late for him to be seen by a doctor or sent to a hospital?. I learned of a death of another inmate today. killed? sick, tortured?? There are no excuses for this. I understand that there is retaliation if someone speaks. Someone needs to care