News
When the Clinic Becomes Part of the Carceral State
I worked for five years as a geriatrician and palliative care physician in the New York City jail system. My patients were trapped at the intersection of two crises: incarceration and serious illness.
In Jewish Currents, Osborne board member Rachael Bedard, MD, examines the implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling within jail and prison healthcare settings.
During my time on Rikers Island, I learned just how corrosive unfreedom is to well-being. My patients often needed medical care at a clinic or hospital outside the jail system, but they were not entitled to know the dates of their scheduled appointments or to choose their providers. The bus ride to the hospital was notoriously rough and bumpy. Men who had injuries or surgical wounds that had not yet healed often refused to get on because they couldn’t tolerate the discomfort of the trip. Patients who did board the bus usually had both their hands and feet shackled for transport. If the Department of Correction got them to the clinic late or if a doctor had to cancel at the last minute, the trip would be in vain and the appointment might not be rescheduled for weeks. Detainees are not allowed to bring any personal possessions, including photos and letters, with them to the hospital, even if they know they are likely to be admitted; they are allowed no special comforts at all. I once tried to bring an ill man a bag of skittles and was told I couldn’t because skittles weren’t on the approved commissary list. I once tried to bring an ill man a novel he requested and was told I couldn’t because it wasn’t on the approved reading list. I requested that wardens let family members—who could only visit if given permission by security, on certain days, between certain hours—come with their phones, so they could take photos of their dying son or father or brother; this request was never approved.
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