“I STILL DO NOT HAVE A LEG”
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jan. 31, 2017) — On Tuesday, The Post & Email received a letter from an inmate at the Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) in Tiptonville, TN regarding an unresolved medical issue compounded by a stroke and its aftermath.
The inmate is presently confined to a wheelchair. He related that over the course of three years, he has “been sent about 7 times to the Deberry Special Needs facility, where you go when you need specialized medical treatment.”
“I still do not have a leg,” he wrote.
The inmate further reported that he is unable to use one of his arms and has “been waiting about the same amount of time to get medical attention and treatment” for that issue.
The letter has been sent to Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) Communications Director Neysa Taylor with a request for a response.
In the past, while terming our numerous reports of inadequate medical care, gang violence, shortstaffing and inappropriate housing of inmates “inaccurate,” Taylor has asked for documentation of our claims which we have sent on a number of occasions since our involvement in the matter began approximately two years ago.
Our email to Taylor reads:
Good afternoon, Ms. Taylor. In the past you have asked me for documentation relating to grievances expressed by inmates and their relatives about care meted out in Tennessee’s prisons.
I have attached such documentation for your review, investigation and response.
Is there a reason why this inmate has been waiting three years for prosthetic leg? Is it a question of the expense?
Thank you very much.
Sharon Rondeau, Editor
The Post & Email
PO Box 113
Canterbury, CT 06331-0113