Everett Snell
P.O. Box 500
Elm Hall #176
Chino, CA 91708
Dear
Reader,
I am a patient/inmate. I am also a (DPP) Disability
Placement Program Clerk in the medical dormitory at Chino's minimum facility. I have fallen victim of and have witnessed
"criminal neglect" on the part of the medical staff of the County of Los Angeles and that of the State of California
under the receivership of Mr. Robert Sillen. I pray that this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits.
I also pray for the patient/inmates who this letter represents, and also those who have first hand knowledge and experience
and who have witnessed the pain and suffering that this present systems culture of "deliberate indifference" inflicts
on it's patients/inmates population. For only those in this class can truly reflect the humanistic picture of the
treatment of this helpless population. When self-laudatory, Draconian laws and sadistic attitudes are the order
of the day, we can only expect negative, very negative results. The reality of the matters become even worse when
one considers the fact that all this could have been minimized or even eradicated if those professionals who are paid well
to take care of it's subject population would simply rid themselves of these attitudes of indifference.
This medical systems is in dire need of fixing, as I suspect most
conscious people are well aware of. I do believe that more awareness is needed. (1) More media access to
prisoners is needed. (2) Prisoner complaints should be taken seriously and not railroaded by this present form
of administration. (3) More independent investigations are needed. The public needs to hear from the voiceless
victims. Prisoners are being released back into society with deep physical, emotional and financial wounds that unfortunately
they are forced to bear, alone. These wounds, a lot of the time serious, yet fixable, are being left open and exposed
for all to see. Will society continue the culture that is being displayed by this system? If so, everyone will
be infected by these open wounds that could have been treated.
Instead of directing funds and awareness into common sense measures to make prisons and prisoners safer, the CDCR/Prison Guards
Union has spent millions of dollars in promoting causes such the 3 strikes law and advertising that it's members walk
"The toughest beat in state". They choose to manipulate public sympathies to maximize members salaries and
benefits at the expense of insuring adequate medical care and security of its inmates and patients.
Deprived of the institutional checks by which unpopular inmate medical rights (Civil Rights) might be addressed in the administration
of the CDCR and courts and this cycle broken, prison medical standard have devolved into an indecency. One district
court has already put the entire medical portion into the receivership of Mr. Robert Sillen. It would seem to any prudent
person that the remedy would begin with promoting and enforcing the basic respect for each inmates health needs. One
way we could test our societies health as a whole is whether or not we may value the inhumane treatment of dogs (in the case
of NFL superstar Michael Vick) to the inhumane treatment of human beings in the custody of our penal system.
A year ago to date, as the gubernatorial neared Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic challenger Phil Angelides were squabbling
over competing plans to address the grim state of California Prison systems, the abysmal condition within California existing
facilities were generating international attention.
Mr.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, after a court advised prison reform effort, retreated under the pressure of the prison guards union.
Judge Thelton Henderson should order/allow public hearings to investigate this fact and also other "secret counsels"
held by Susan Kennedy, Arnold's Chief of Staff and others. After said secret counsels prison reform was grounded.
Robert Sillen was ordering the State to spend millions of dollars to improve inmate health care. Mr. Sillen has previously
stated his intentions to build new hospitals and also to (sidestep) State laws and union contracts that have lead to "bureaucratic
paralysis." Then a contractor running inmate health care pilot programs blamed Mr. Sillen of refusing to pay the
company, "Medical Development International, 2.6 million dollars, who then requested that Judge Thelton Henderson help
the company collect unpaid bills which would allow them to continue/resume providing services to the CDCR inmates in California
State Prison (CSP) in Lancaster. I was delayed/denied treatment during this period and location, which was a contributing
factor or the main cause to my permanent blindness in my right eye, according to a State contractor who finally performed
the much needed, long awaited, surgery. An investigation is warranted! It would be beneficial to have CDCR/Medical
staff members and top officials in the Governors office to testify under oath concerning the status of the court ordered prison
reform.
In July 2006, after a seven year hiatus on the
United States part, the U.N. Human Rights Committee reviewed U.S. compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. By ratifying the covenant, the U.S. government pledged to uphold the rights detailed in the treaty.
Yet, while the Bush administration has portrayed itself as a global promoter of Democracy and Justice, the U.N. review has
brought to light the U.S. track record on human rights, domestically and internationally.
Conditions and conduct in the California Criminal Justice system, documents numerous cases of gross medical neglect, physical,
sexual and emotional abuse and degradation. In California, one prisoner dies every six to seven days because of the
States/Counties failure to provide basic medical services. Due to insufficient testing and treatment, chronic health
care problems advance untreated, resulting in extreme suffering, astronomical economic costs and numerous deaths and permanent
impairments, which could have been avoided with even minimum levels of care. I respectfully request any specific, general
or legal assistance that you could possibly provide pertaining to the correction of the aforementioned dehumanistic conditions.
Thank you for your time and consideration, your timely response is highly appreciated.
Sincerely Yours,
Everett Snell
