Dallas County Jail

Medications

Interview with Charles, m ray, Leon, Jean, Accountant, Hot attorney, Lil Will and Cam

JM: Did you always have access to necessary medications?
Charles: No, but i didn't ask. i am on anti depressants. I choose not to ask for them because I know they wouldn't be dispensed properly, nor received in a timely manner. in theory they will give you meds, but it will not be a fast process.
m ray: no
Leon: Don't know I didn't need any.
Jean: Let's go back to that. I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and that was the first thing I told them. They asked if I had any medical problems, and I said I don't have medical problems, but I do have a medical problem. I've been diagnosed with breast cancer, and I'm going to need medical attention. That's how I got into the infirmary. When it's all said and done, dude, my boyfriend had to go down to South Padre Island, 'cause that's where we were living, and get all of my medial records and bring them to the jail house because they weren't willing to take me for a mammogram because they thought I was making it up. So I stayed in the infirmary for probably three months before I got my first doctor's appointment. I was in the infirmary, and that wasn't until my boyfriend go tall of the medical records, and they had something that might have made them think I might have been sick. If the truth be known, had I not been released when I had, because I just got done with all my chemo and reconstruction - that all started immediately when I got out of jail. I was down there two and a half years ago. If I'd have stayed in there much longer, I would have probably died. They weren't about to take care of me. They wouldn't give me any pain pills. What they gave me was ibuprofen, and I ate those things like candy. I would trade them for pain pills.
Accountant: No. And I have a "trait" that causes my health to fluctuate, and when I buzzed for medical attention, I was told to "hold on"..........no one ever showed up.
Hot attorney: No. I was denied basic medical care while in jail.
Lil Will: dont take them
Cam: No....

JM: How did you get your medications?
Charles: N/A
m ray: it took months to get my meds
Leon: By going to the nurse it took many days sometimes to see the nurse though.
Jean: They have what they call BYB's, which is By Your Bed. I had control of my ibuprofen. I had a whole pallet of it. I would take two or three a day - whatever it took to keep that knot down. My meds were at my bed, but I didn't have any pain meds. Anything that is like that, they make you get up for.
Accountant: N/A
Cam: you had to put in a kite to see the nurse and then wait, wait, wait, wait, put in another kite to see the nurse and wait some more..finally about 3 weeks later you see the nurse..they go through your medical history..then they have you sign a waiver giving them permission to check your medical records from other hospitals that you visited in the past where you were told that medication was needed and prescribed to you..

JM: What types of punishments were incurred for abuse of drugs?
Charles: I don't know.
m ray: nothing really
Leon: Not sure.
Jean: Probably would have got solitary confinement, is my guess. I've had some friends there. It's not really solitary. It is, but it's not. Basically, all it is is a hallway with 8 or 9 beds in it. You have no day light or TV. It's on the other side of the infirmary, and I had friends that got out on bail and came back within 3 weeks, and she was in solitary on the other side of me, and I could throw candy bars and stuff to her. So it's not real solitary.

Actually, that reminds me about a rule in Dallas County about when a female inmate sees a guy inmate. When guys are in the hallway, which, at Dallas County, they don't really have a work release for women. They do for guys, so if you're going to the doctor, or you're going down to commissary, or just moving around the building, they make the guys stand against the wall with their faces towards the wall so they can't see the women. You'd see them, and they'd be outside your cell cleaning the floors and stuff, but for the most part, they were good about keeping you separated.
Accountant: N/A
Cam: loss of commissary privileges, loss of visitation rights, and they could even send you to a tank that has no tv and is what they call Full restriction tanks..YOU HAVE NO PRIVILEGES WHAT SO EVER..