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| Paralyzed Ex-Inmate Faces Costly Future After Assault By Officer |
| By Indianapolis Star |
| Published: 03/05/2003 |
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On the day after Christmas, Joe Roberts woke up in Wishard Memorial Hospital and discovered he couldn't move his arms and legs. Doctors said the 18-year-old was a quadriplegic. Two vertebrae in his neck were shattered. While he doesn't remember what happened, prison officials say Roberts was injured when he was slammed head-first onto the floor by an officer at the Plainfield Juvenile Correctional Facility (the former Indiana Boys School). His father, Jean Roberts, said his son didn't turn off a TV set fast enough for the officer. The officer, Shawn James, has been fired for using excessive force. Indiana State Police detectives are investigating and are expected to report their findings soon to Hendricks County Prosecutor Patricia Baldwin. Roberts had been in the facility for 18 months after being convicted of intimidation in a case involving a woman who accused him of breaking into her house. As the youth lay in the hospital, his father was forced to make a tough decision. 'Dr. Scott A. Shapiro wanted to do experimental surgery and implement some things to stimulate his nerves and help them heal,' said the father. But federal regulations bar using prisoners for experimental medicine. So the Department of Correction would have to release him from custody to permit the doctor to operate. Once released, however, the state would no longer have to pay for Roberts' treatment. At the father's urging, correction officials signed the release papers. 'We acted in the best interest of the student to give him as much of a chance with the surgery and rehabilitation,' said Pam Pattison, a spokeswoman for the Correction Department. On January 29, Jean Roberts and his wife, Renee, sat in Hook Rehabilitation Center at Community Hospital East and pledged to help their son, even though there is little hope he will walk again. 'They say he might regain some feeling in his upper chest, but that may be all. 'But I will not put my son in a nursing home. No way,' he said. The family has no insurance. They know they face enormous medical bills, plus years of rehabilitation. 'They tell me he will have to have a special chair that is controlled by his head, and that will cost about $20,000. An electric bed will cost about $15,000, while a special custom-built potty chair will cost another $2,000,' Jean Roberts said. The father also mentions his son will need a special van for transportation to rehab sessions, plus a ramp for the chair and other special treatment. 'I don't know what the bills will run. All I know is they will be astronomical. We could be facing another surgery in a couple of years,' he said. Social workers at Wishard helped the family apply for Medicaid to help pay for medical treatment. A decision on that will take 90 days to six months, the father said. It's still uncertain whether the Department of Correction will help pay the bills. 'If we are presented with bills (over those covered by Medicaid), we will review them,' said Pattison. The Roberts family has contacted a lawyer. |
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Do you know someone who has been arrested in Waco or McLennan County? It’s important to find a good Waco lawyer to represent you in the matter involving your own liberty. Look for the best Waco Attorney that you can find. Whether you have been accused rightly or wrongly, it’s important to know your legal rights that concern whether you go to jail.
Roberts had been in the facility for 18 months after being convicted of intimidation in a case involving a woman - it was amazing...I have read a lot of reviews about this situation livecareer resume has it's own reviews on their website