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| Ala. DOC settles second inmate health care lawsuit |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/07/2004 |
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The Alabama Department of Corrections has settled a lawsuit filed by St. Clair state prison inmates who claimed they didn't receive adequate treatment for cancer, Hepatitis C and other deadly diseases. It was the agency's second settlement involving inmate health care in less than two weeks. Grace Graham, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center representing the inmates, said she hopes the back-to-back settlements will pressure DOC to improve medical conditions for prisoners statewide. Last Wednesday's settlement, filed in federal court in Birmingham, requires the DOC to have more full-time physicians and nurses on staff to offer quick, complete medical care to St. Clair inmates, especially those with cancer, Hepatitis C and other potentially fatal diseases -- even if that means taking ailing prisoners to offsite specialists. The agreement must still be approved in court at an unspecified date. A settlement filed two weeks ago required the DOC to step up treatment and care of HIV-positive inmates at Limestone state prison with more HIV consultants. Medical consultants have also been appointed in both cases to perform quarterly reviews of patient health care at the two prisons. DOC spokesman Steve Hayes said the lawsuits did not pressure his department into taking pre-emptive steps to improve inmate health care and avoid future lawsuits. |
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