Carol Fisher was sentenced to 60 days in jail for posting “Bush
Step Down” posters, and was just released on July 7. The
following later was written while she was still in jail.
July 4, 2006 (what to a prisoner is the 4th of July)
Hi,
You asked for some particulars about the conditions here at Cuyahoga
County Jail. The most troubling situation is with medical needs. Last
night a woman had a grand mal seizure just because she was not given
her prescribed medication. When she came in several weeks ago, she had
her prescribed medicine–and a prior written order from the court
requiring strict attention to taking her medication as a safety
precaution to herself and others. Yet she was denied the meds for
several weeks and then when she got them they still left out some,
which led to the seizure, in the common room, collapsing on the
concrete floor.
This is typical. We watched as another woman
declined into madness over the course of several days when she couldn’t
get her medication for bi-polar disorder. She was unable to sleep, and
after 36 hours began tohallucinate and had no concept of where she was.
After 3 days of this torture, allowing her to bang on the doors all
night calling for attention, they carted her off to the psych
ward–totally unnecessary suffering.
Medications are doled out three times a day.
But most people say they are not getting what the need, or only partial
treatment, and frequently not what they have been prescribed.
If you have a health issue, you write your
complaint and it is sent to the clinic. Unless it is an emergency, it
takes 2 to 3 weeks to be seen. (I was called down sooner because my
situation was brought to the warden’s attention. But still there were
no results for a comparatively simple request) No one has a good thing
to say about the clinic or the doctors. One 20 year old woman
complained of a sore throat and earaches, and the doctor’s comment to
her was, “oh, maybe it’s because you are swallowing too much come?”
This is the attitude you are met with, sick or well.
The last time (the third attempt) I tried to
request my herbs and vitamins, I was told that there was “no
pharmacological proof that these would be of benefit. It’s all just
touchy-feely stuff.” I was told that a separate visit to the gyn doctor
would be necessary for the yeast infection. That infection gave over
to a bladder infection (I guess) 2 or 3 weeks wait for another
clinic visit.
There are charges for all medication and
treatment. These fees are paid thru commissary. So if you have a
medical emergency, like the woman who had the seizure, you can’t
purchase anything else thru commissary because first the $ go to pay
medical fees (even if the emergency was caused by their malpractice).
The clinic is filthy. The health department
should go inspect the 7th floor medical clinic. They have 2 holding
cells where inmates wait to be seen. You night spend 45 minutes to an
hour with other sick inmates in this area about 6’x12′. Bugs are flying
in your face. The toilet/sink area in the holding cell stinks of urine
and looks like it is never cleaned or disinfected–you might leave the
clinic sicker than when you arrived.
Other big issues–the air and water. Typical
for people to develop respiratory problems and skin problems a day or
two after arriving. Bladder infections are also common. You get
only 2 cups of coffee, 1/2 pt. milk and 1 cup of koolaid each day. The
tap water tastes and smells like sewage–people avoid drinking it and
get dehydrated.
People are always hungry. The meals are what
you expect for jail–mostly starch, small portions of processed meat
and rotten iceberg lettuce. The fresh fruit is coveted.
I am told that the jail is paid a certain
amount of dollars per inmate–in the thousands–but can’t verify that.
They act like there is no money for anything. We are supposed to be
issued t-shirts, socks, underwear but often as with me, there are no
t-shirts, socks or even underwear available. Now they want you to buy
it thru commissary, if what you wore in doesn’t fit regulation. We went
two weeks sharing 3 rolls of toilet paper between 30 women. The
blankets are full of holes and the sheets are as thin as gauze. The
towels are the size of dishtowels. There is no kleenex or paper napkins
for meals.
There’s no regard for due process or “right
to a speedy trial,’ or “right to contact your attorney.” Those who are
appointed public defenders often don’t know their attorney’s name or
have any way of contacting them. If you don’t have someone on the
outside pulling for you, forget it. The only hope is thru the social
worker who comes once a week. The majority of women in here are sitting
and waiting for an unknown date for arraignment, for (?) to be lifted,
for a hearing, for sentencing, or to be assigned a bed at an outside
treatment center. People wait weeks and sometimes months even to be
charged. When those with public defenders finally go to court, wait all
day in holding cells with 2 to 8 others, often you get sent back
upstairs with no results–hearing is rescheduled. Obviously you
have no control over any of this.
When I told the women that WCW was
interested in hearing about conditions inside, these are the main
things they emphasized: They were encouraged to know that somebody is
listening. Later that day I noticed that 2 women had been motivated to
write complaints to the warden and got everyone to sign them(about the
bad water and cold showers and lack of toilet paper.
People here are also curious about my
mail(want to hear updates about opposition to the government and want
info about WCW. I am still waiting to get copies of the WCW statement
to share with inmates. Lacking that and Revolution newspaper makes it
difficult to give people a clear idea of the breadth of the movement
against the Bush regime, not to mention all-encompassing and deep
analysis and theory about fundamental solutions in Revolution
newspaper. These tools are essential.
I have really been trying to include those
who are questioning and resisting into the activity surrounding my
case(to show that it is not a matter of my personal actions and needs,
but part of movement that is urgently struggling to expand its ranks
and its impact.
And, if you seek guidance and
inspiration(pray) I am notorious for not believing in god but most women
don’t even want to discuss it. Those who do are sharply struggling. One
conversation that started out as a good debate over what kind of
morality(and the literal interpretation of the bible(ended with this
woman deciding that it would be a sin for her to entertain these
thoughts. She read a few pages of “Preaching from a Pulpit of Bones” by
Bob Avakian, and gave it back to me. But I intend to persist. With some
women we have actually sat and looked up quotes in the bible and talked
about the significance of the government aligned with the Christian
fascists enforcing this kind of morality in concert with police state
and scramble for empire. This is a whole different way of thinking for
most people.
Women I have got to know(many who have moved
on to Marysville or drug treatment or home(have given me ways of
contact so I hope to have ongoing contact.
More later,
Love, Carol