[Women Prisoner News] Women prisoners tooth extraction policy blasted

[Diana Block]

Tooth-extraction policy blasted
PRISON APPOINTEE TOLD TO REPORT BACK
By Edwin GarciaMercury News Sacramento Bureau
Article Launched: 06/12/2008 01:33:17 AM PDT



SACRAMENTO - State senators of both parties angrily challenged a top corrections official Wednesday over a controversial policy that has prompted female inmates to have their teeth removed in order to live in a special housing program with their small children.
Jeffrey D. Thompson, who oversees prison dentists as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's health care operations director, agreed to investigate the unusual policy in response to questions from members of the Senate Rules Committee, who learned about it through an April article in the Mercury News.
Thompson had appeared at the hearing seeking confirmation for the post, to which he was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in December; instead, the rules committee members decided to postpone the vote until Thompson reports back to them. 
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata likened the policy to "the kind of stuff that goes on in other countries and other regimes, not here." He opened his remarks by holding up a copy of the newspaper article, which detailed stories of women who decided to get their rotting and damaged teeth extracted by prison dentists in order to comply with a policy that allowed them to gain access to vocational and rehabilitation programs, including housing in a community correctional institution in Oakland.
"I'm not going to defend the department or our dental policies in this particular area, but rather say, I think we have a lot of room for 


improvement," Thompson told the committee. "What I learned is that right now it is challenging for some of our women inmates to get into our community correctional programs because of dental care needs, and it's my charge to make sure that health care needs do not block our ability to place inmates, or women inmates, in these programs."
Perata scoffed at that answer with an expletive, adding, "You gave me a nice political answer that didn't serve me well, which means it doesn't serve you well."
Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, said he agreed with Perata.
"The choices that these women were given, either pull out your teeth or don't see your baby, is unconscionable." The inmates, Battin said, face "a Hobson's choice, I don't even know how to express it."
Under questioning by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Van Nuys, Thompson called the policy an "unacceptable situation" and a violation of dental ethics. 
Thompson assured the senators, "We are not going to allow these kinds of practices to continue. I want to assure you, I don't want to gloss this over, this is a significant issue, it angers me."
The committee then agreed with a recommendation by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, that the confirmation vote be postponed, because, "given the challenges that you confront, there's a need for us to develop some confidence in your leadership."
Thompson, who took office Dec. 3, is allowed to remain on the job for a full year without Senate confirmation.
Perata suggested Thompson visit more prisons and provide a full explanation of the policy before scheduling another confirmation hearing.




Contact Edwin Garcia at egarcia at mercurynews.com or (916) 441-4651.
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