[buddy7]

Hi- Posters!!

In the UK it is claimed, if a male prisoner is diagnosed while in custody with Type 2 diabetes, it is virtually impossible for him to purchase a Glucose Monitoring Meter, reading this article, one prisoner stated, he was one of the last to have one purchase.

It was also noted, that priority treatment, was given to Type 1s, more so than Type 2s, Type 1s are given glucose tablets or Glucogel to prevent hypos, while Type 2s are considered, as not a serious enough illness to administer this medication, in- fact, some diabetes prescription can take up to a week, before they are filled, the writer of this article went on to say, people with Type 2 diabetes are generally only at risk of hypos if they are on insulin.

Have they gone mad, in Her Majesty's Prisoners? why the government and the Governors of these correctional institutions, have taken such a negative attitude towards their inmates?

I'm sure, these guys wish no pity, they have committed various offences, and acknowledges their punishment, if a man goes to prison, does he loses his right to have proper medical treatment as a diabetic?

What's your views POSTERS??

B/7 ESSEX UK.

[patricia52]

Don't know about UK but I talked with a US inmate on work release who said he was D. He said he was not given proper foods, etc. He had to eat what was served or go hungry. I assume he was a t2.
I can see where inmates with D would not get the best of care. D is expensive & prisons are run on a tight budget I have encounter GP that don't know how to deal with D. The doctors and nurses who care for inmates likely have very little knowledge about how to treat a D person. Guards would have even less knowledge of the needs of a D. Availabity of supplies could also be a safety issue. Even sugar that can be used to treat a hypo is prohibited because inmates use it to make MASH(an alcoholic drink).
I know there are others on the forum that know more than me. Maybe they can chime in.

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by buddy7

the writer of this article went on to say, people with Type 2 diabetes are generally only at risk of hypos if they are on insulin.

Is this not true? I don't know the risks of most of the type 2 meds. I know metformin is not supposed to send you hypo.

[grace girl]

My mom is on metaphormin...if she doesn't eat she has hypo's. She's taking the lowest dose and her fasting bs is way too high...so I don't think it's that she's taking too much.

[REDLAN]

The point of imprisonment as I understand it is to ensure safety of the public by segregating criminals, enable rehabilitation, and to act as a deterrent. The deterrence is the loss of liberty.

found this site...

Your Rights: The Rights of Prisoners: Medical treatments: Medical treatment

which specifically mentions medical treatment.

In May 2004 the ‘Prison Service Standard on Health Services for Prisoners’ was issued, setting an auditing standard: “To provide prisoners with access to the same range and quality of services as the general public receives from the NHS.”

There is quite a bit of other stuff on the site, which you may find interesting.

[Scrabblechick]

Sulfonys can cause hypos in T2s. Met not generally, though. In the US, I suspect it all depends on the prison and the individual warden. Some wardens are very conscientious and want their prisoners to have proper care. Others don't give a #$%^&.

Here's a good example going on in my hometown. We have a city jail, run by our city and council, and the county jail, administered by the county sheriff. Well, an Alabama law from about 1938, when the country was in the Great Depression and money was scarce, provides a certain amount of money to the sheriff to feed the prisoners in the county jail. Whatever is left over is his/hers to keep as part of his salary. I think the potential for corruption is evident here.

Anyway, many of the prisoners in the county jail have complained the food is scant and of poor quality. Many have said their main meal is pork and beans and fried bologna. It's disgraceful and our newspaper has written many stories about it.

Contrariwise, the sheriff in the next county feeds his prisoners very well and in fact, invites any resident of the county to come in unannounced, and have lunch. One of his main ways of compelling good behavior among the inmates is to threaten to have them transferred to our county, where they know they won't eat nearly as well. The county jail has remarkably few dissatisfied inmates. It's all in how the jails are operated. I suspect the same is true in the UK.

I believe in fair, humane treatment for all prison inmates, and that they should receive decent medical care. Met is available in generic and is inexpensive.

Write letters to the newspapers and encourage the families to bring legal action against the prison administration. Only action will force uncaring wardens to be responsible.

[Hammer]

This is a difficult topic to weigh in on because there are two sides to the issue. The first is the humane aspect. It's inhumane to keep someone locked up and deny them what they need to exist. Because they are locked up, they are unable to get what they need on their own, so the prison is responsible for it. We'd all like to think that no matter what crime the person has committed, it's inhumane to put them in a place where they are unable to obtain medical services on their own, and to refuse to give them what they need.

The other side of the issue is just as valid. A man works two jobs to take care of his family, barely having enough time to even see them. He works his two jobs, pays his taxes, and is a good citizen. However, even working two jobs, he doesn't have medical insurance. If he should develop diabetes, he doesn't have the money to buy the medications or test strips that he needs to control his diabetes, so he does without them in order to feed his family.

The question then, why should a criminal who has hurt society and contributed nothing to society get free medical care, while the hard working, law abiding citizen gets nothing? Does a person have to commit a crime in order to be able to medical care? Should prisoners get benefits that a working person doesn't get?

These are the two sides to the issue, and the general public would most likely come down in favor of the working man, so there's no easy solution to the issue.

[HelenM]

I suspect that a British prisoners 'rights' to care are greater than in many other countries. There is a national framework which describes the standards of care that should be in place.
Like all policies I expect its enforced far better in some areas than others. You only have to read some of the answers to questions in Parliament to realise that but the rights are there and at least it is a system open to inspection.
Diabetic care is provided by the NHS rather than the prison authorities, a recent change. In the past it was provided by hospital officers, nurses and doctors within the prison system. Perhaps one of the problems is that its now provided from one step away . A relative used to work in a prison hospital. He has quite good (though now out of date) knowledge about diabetes. He often tells stories of recidivists whose only medical care was when they were in prison. (some who even commited trivial crimes to get back in). Most prisoners are in prison for less than six months. Their lifestyles outside prison are often unhealthy and many don't see doctors when they're outside prison. Most won't be in prison long enough for six monthly/ annual checks. and probably don't have them done on the outside either. Some diabetics are in fact diagnosed in prison following a routine urine test. A good diabetic education progamme might be useful.
Self monitoring of type 2 diabetes is often discouraged by NHS doctors anyway (just read the threads on test strip provision in the UK), Its often argued here that its a useful tool for adapting diet and exercise. A person in prison isn't really in a position to do that On top of that there must be a perceived risk from lancets and blood.

[kgm0612]

Here in our RI Prisons, inmates with diabetes (type 1 & 2) have their blood sugars tested, are given injections or medications by the nursing staff. However, they eat what is being served for breakfast, lunch & dinner, but are afforded snacks or juice to treat low blood sugars............. all of this at the tax payer's expense!

Karen

[fgummett]

When I lived in the UK, I always understood that anyone detained, "at Her Majesty's pleasure" was actually given the very best of health care... for example: seeing the specialist at hospital instead of a resident in training. I thought the whole idea was that the state had taken responsibility for you and as such, any medical treatment had to be above reproach... I guess I thought wrong

[buddy7]

Hi- REDLAN!!

Thanks for sharing the site with me, some interesting stuff, yes! then again, one would say in today's society, found some of the wording a little condescending and a bit draconian.

Failings in the prison health-care system, go back for many years, despite yearly warnings from department health inspector, some front line deficiencies in prison health-care comes up time and againpoor training, unreliable equipment and inadequate staffing, the failings have lingered for years, saddling prisoners with uneven treatment and the tax payers with an appalling legal costs.

Its time the parliamentarians, address the warnings about holes in the prison health-care system.
Prisons up and down the UK have failed their inmates, and the public, in general, who pays the bill? the tax payers of course, what incensed me more so, are the variable claims by inmates against these institutions, ranging from, the slip, trips, falls, prisoners litigation, abuse by prison staff, harassment, medical negligence, injury to others, unlawful detention and personal property the list goes on, the grand total for all claims runs at a staggering £2,509,679, how can this be justified?

Not so long ago, I had a distant family member, who died in prison, a complete balls-up, transferred from one prison to the other, the transferred prison too, failed, to record he had a heart condition, no medication was administered, died!! the inquest, read, died from a heart attack, negligence, springs to mind. This is your typical NHS health-care in HMP, non- existence!

B/7 ESSEX UK.