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| Ex-prison nurses: The water's unsafe |
| By The Birmingham News |
| Published: 01/19/2004 |
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Several nurses recently employed at St. Clair, Ala. prison say the plumbing and sewage situation is so bad at the lockup near Springville that employees were warned not to drink the water or eat the ice. They also said prison water was cut off for nearly two days last month, creating such a foul environment that medical staff wore surgical masks to block the smell. The St. Clair Correctional Facility is one of two state prisons recently cited by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for dumping untreated sewage into nearby creeks. The prison is under a consent order to reduce the levels of pollution it dumps into Little Canoe Creek. Levels from several months violate the prison's permit and violate federal clean water laws. "From Day One, we were told, 'Don't drink the water.' That's when I got into the habit of buying water and bringing it from home," said Kim Chapman, a licensed practical nurse who worked at the prison for three years before quitting in November. Only prisoners drank the water, she said. Officials from the Alabama Department of Corrections say St. Clair prison is hooked up to water from the City of Odenville, and they were not aware of any warnings from prison management not to drink it. The nurses said they believe the questionable water contributes to the high number of inmates with gastrointestinal problems. The standard treatment for such complaints included a dose of Flagyl, an antibiotic. Chapman said about half of the 50 to 70 inmates who reported to sick call weekly complained of gastrointestinal problems. The nurses said the cramped conditions and poor sanitation are creating a breeding ground for staph infections, too. Staphylococcus is bacteria that can cause boils on the skin. Chapman said the infections escalated last year when the population grew by about 200 inmates. DOC Spokesman Brian Corbett confirmed that there have been cases of staph infections at St. Clair. The warden told him the infections are not any different from what happens in prisons across the country and in hospitals. |
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