Endless delays, hospitals canceled due to lack of escort, handcuffed examinations under the watchful eye… In a report published on Wednesday July 6, the International Observatory of Prisons (OIP) condemns the very difficult access to specialized care for prisoners. .
First observation of this “dark” evaluation, delays in obtaining appointments. a few months, if ever, for the most in-demand specialties (dentistry, physical therapy, cardiology, ophthalmology), says the report, which is only interested in physical care (and not psychiatry). The lack of staff, equipment or adequate space and budget for care in prisons in prison health units is questioned. Cited by OIP, caregivers describe “D-Systems” put in place. “self recovery” due to the absence of a physiotherapist assigned by random results, the pain is treated “With large prescriptions of morphine” despite the risk of addiction, dental procedures “by default” sometimes reduced to simple by practitioners “teeth pullers”.
Getting out of prison “to die”.
Prior to the publication of the OIP report, Nora, whose brother has been incarcerated since 2015, described to the press how her condition had deteriorated due to a lack of proper care. Very sober, he listed his ongoing pain due to the lack of adequate rehabilitation, his serious skin disease, his anxiety-depressive syndrome, which makes his confinement in an institution classic. “Very tiring”. Dolphin testified to the sometimes dramatic consequences of delaying treatment. His companion was eligible to undergo a battery of tests “size” was found on his body four months late, while his health had visibly deteriorated. He was only allowed out of prison “die” about this cancer, he said, excited and angry.
Caregivers are also experienced “interference” about the prison environment, the report notes, in particular, many “rejection” prescriptions (showers: “medical”, special diets, medical beds. they do not pass the cell doors. crutches, prostheses…) Due to lack of staff and equipment or surgical operations, inmates are released from prison for certain treatments (30,000 to 50,000 medical discharges in 2020, according to authorities). These outings are too often canceled at the last minute, often due to the lack of an available escort, the OIP decries. To the extent that the doctor is sometimes forced “Choose” between emergency and MRI “Planned for months”, the chief doctor of Fresnes prison hospital, Anne Douliust, described to the press. In rare cases, he noted. “With a lot of planning, we have both”.
Also, often, OIP recognizes, it is the inmate who cancels his or her medical appointment. Sometimes because of work or a meeting room (for security reasons, inmates are usually not notified in advance of their removal), often also: “fear of unworthy mining conditions”in:“humiliation” and some “Breach of medical secrecy”.they assure the association.
In theory, the prison administration defines four levels “methods” escort depending on the dangerousness of the detainee; But in practice, the OIP argues, “In the vast majority of cases, handcuffs and shackles are generalized.”it is even maintained during medical consultations. “I had handcuffs on my hands and a tie on my waist, like a dog on a leash”The detainee testified in the program. “I had a colonoscopy, tied to the bed, with an attendant present in the room”, someone else wrote. In most cases and in violation of medical confidentiality, the supervisor(s) remain in the room, sometimes even during operations. This practice earned France condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2011.
Finally, OIP regrets medical leave, which is a good alternative and will cost money “cheaper”, still very few are given. As for the suspension of the sentence for medical reasons, the message states, it is so “It is especially required in the end-of-life context, with the goal of allowing detainees to die in dignified conditions.”.
Source: Le Figaro
