Home / Crime and Justice / Amputations, Delays Plague Mississippi Prison Care
Amputations, Delays Plague Mississippi Prison Care
16 Oct
Summary
- Prisoners suffer amputations due to untreated diabetes.
- Cancer patients face alarming delays in diagnosis and treatment.
- A mother details coercion for her son's pain medication.
Mississippi lawmakers convened a joint hearing to address shocking allegations of inadequate healthcare within state prisons. Testimony revealed prisoners suffering from preventable conditions, including amputations due to untreated diabetes and alarming delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
One oncologist detailed cases where cancer spread due to delayed biopsies and treatment. Another story involved a prisoner released to a Motel 6 with amputated legs, lacking basic medical supplies and receiving carbohydrate-heavy food after being promised long-term care.
A mother testified about being coerced into paying for illegal drugs to manage her son's chronic pain after he was denied essential medication. She reported the scheme to authorities but has received no update on any investigation.
Despite requests, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) was notably absent from the hearing. Lawmakers expressed frustration with the MDOC's non-attendance.
Officials from VitalCore Health Strategies, the state's prison medical contractor, defended their operations, claiming they inherited a system in "dire" condition in 2020. They presented statistics to show improvements and addressed concerns about hepatitis C treatment, stating they treat 50 patients per quarter.
However, questions were raised about the discrepancy between VitalCore's treatment numbers and the reported number of inmates with hepatitis C, with one lawmaker citing a figure of over 5,000.
Lawmakers indicated plans to propose further reforms for the state's prison healthcare system next year, aiming to create stronger safeguards against the denial of care.
