Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Calif. prison receiver: Transfer sick inmates
AP via SacBee ^ | 1/20/9 | DON THOMPSON - Associated Press Writer

Posted on 01/20/2009 1:18:40 PM PST by SmithL

SACRAMENTO -- Up to 7,000 sick California inmates must be transferred to prisons with access to better medical care, a court-appointed receiver said in a court filing Tuesday.

Receiver Clark Kelso is in charge of improving inmate medical care but has become frustrated with the pace of reform. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers have so far refused to provide the $8 billion he seeks to build new medical facilities.

In the court documents, he said physically and mentally ill inmates cannot get proper care at four isolated prisons in the Central Valley. Those prisons are Avenal State Prison, California State Prison in Corcoran, the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, and Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga.

The receiver's office recommended the inmates be shifted to prisons closer to urban areas, including those in Vacaville and Soledad. Tens of thousands of healthy inmates at those prisons would be displaced to make room.

"There seems to be a feeling by the governor and attorney general that there are no consequences to not building (medical) facilities,"

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: blackrobedtyrant; prisons; yourtaxdollarsatwork

1 posted on 01/20/2009 1:18:42 PM PST by SmithL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga.

Somehow intuitively you know this place is anything but pleasant.


2 posted on 01/20/2009 1:35:14 PM PST by null and void (KENYAN GO HOME!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: null and void

I have a friend at Pleasant Valley (verrrry long story, and no, he’s not an innocent victim of an unfeeling justice system) and your intuition couldn’t be sharper. This article is of particular interest to me because my friend has an illness that is exacerbated by the Central Valley’s heavy agricultural pollution. I hope he does get transferred to some place where he can get better care. Believe me, he is already paying heavily for his shall we say poor judgments, and dying slowly and painfully of a treatable disease doesn’t need to be added to that.


3 posted on 01/20/2009 1:47:09 PM PST by hunter75
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

How many ill inmates are in the US and CA illegally? Send them to a prison in their home country and THEN let them be taken care of THERE!

How and why would a state like CA (desperately broke) find $8 billion for the scum of the earth???


4 posted on 01/20/2009 2:11:35 PM PST by texson66 (DemonRats: Remember: They have what it takes to TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hunter75
Sorry about your friend. Perhaps folks could make reservations at their preferred institution before committing their crimes.
5 posted on 01/20/2009 2:30:26 PM PST by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: texson66

Not that simple. The inmate I know at Pleasant Valley is as American as can be and while certainly deserving of his punishment he isn’t the scum of the earth. Just a (non-violent) screwed-up dude who stole a whole bunch of money. Constitution is very clear on cruel and unusual punishment — it was important to the Founders to distinguish our prison system from England’s. Take it from me, there is nothing cushy or plush about my friend’s circumstances. It’s just as grim and rotten as you would want it to be. But given that the inmates can’t earn enough of a living to pay for their own medical care, that’s on us.


6 posted on 01/20/2009 2:43:07 PM PST by hunter75
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Mark was here

He’s been trying for years to make reservations at San Quentin (imagine wanting to be in San Quentin) for years, to be closer to his daughter, but it appears — perhaps given the desirable bay-view location — that it’s fully booked.


7 posted on 01/20/2009 2:47:31 PM PST by hunter75
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson