by: Wilson Moy and Ashley Moss, CCWP high school interns
In 2006 Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases? (WORLD) highlighted the life of Beverly Henry, who tested co-positive for HIV/HepC in 1994. Ms. Henry was in and out of jail since she was 15 years old. By 18 she was addicted to heroin and cocaine. After she found out her status, she
felt hopeless until she learned more about her disease.
She was released in Oct. 2009 (see The Fire Inside #41, Fall 2009 dedicated to her.) Unfortunately, in America?s Prison Industrial Complex people are denied health care. Prisoners strive for better health care. ?Barriers to Basic Care?
(2006) quotes Stephanie Walters Searight, ?I wait to see the doctor…. They say don?t worry. You will see him soon.? Prison systems claim that the doctors that
they hire are professionals, but they prove to be unfit for the job.
?Correctional Health Care: A Public Health Opportunity,? states that, ?Because of the high yearly turnover, the criminal justice system can play an important
public health role… by controlling communicable diseases in large urban communities.? Health care needs to be more in the prisoners? hands. We must take the initiative of people inside and outside the prisons to improve health care for all.
Addressing healthcare inside
