ACLU says inmates lack proper medical care in jails, prisons

The Wyoming Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says that most complaints surrounding state prisons and jails involves improper medical of mental health care.  Much of that has to do with inmates not getting their necessary medication.  

Wyoming ACLU Director Linda Burt says this can be serious business.  Sometimes jails are in areas of the state where it is difficult to get mental health care, but she says it’s still important that inmates get that medication. “Often times they are expensive and jails don’t want to pay for them.  That is really a problem in terms of causing problems health wise for inmates because you’re not supposed to take inmates off of those medications immediately.  The second thing is that then they cause behavioral problems for the inmate and the staff.” Burt says health care is constitutionally guaranteed.  She notes inadequate staffing and lack of funding is behind most of the problems.  But Burt adds that most issues are solved by a simple phone call.