Good Day to All,
For those that are new to this email stream, it will make more sense if you start at the beginning with the attached letter and then by email date…
I gave it some time to see how the new year would progress and then I received a letter from the DOC, unsigned so I have no idea who wrote it, and I decided to encapsulate it in this first of 2023 email. I do not think it’s appropriate to send letters such as this without a name attached, as Redacted and I would like to determine who has HIPAA protected information about him. I am requesting this information now in this letter. What person in the DOC wrote this letter and are they involved in Redacted’s medical care? Where is the “Community & Offender Correspondence Unit, Office of the Commissioner, NJ Department of Corrections” located? Trenton? I also wanted to have some time elapse to see if medical services that were suggested previously or scheduled, as per this letter that was sent to me, would happen.
As for the first paragraph, regarding the toilet paper that was denied to Redacted, there is no mention of when Redacted received it, and more to the point, the fact that he was denied in the first place is “the” issue. Redacted told me that the CO told him to use his hand to wipe himself and then wash his hand in the sink. Redacted, instead of doing this, did not allow himself to defecate, and chose, instead, to wait. He told me it took until Monday, third shift, two days later, to get toilet paper.
Regarding showers, Redacted told me that he never turned down a shower. Monday, January 2, 2023, he still did not have toilet paper and he could not recount having been offered a shower. He did tell me that he showered on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 and that on Friday, January 6, 2023, the day that I believe the letter referred to, and said he refused, Redacted was taken out of the prison around 7 am to the Monmouth County Courthouse and did not return until around 8:30 pm, and he told me that he wanted to shower when he returned and that he was refused.
Toilet paper and showers, in my opinion, should not even be a topic for serious consideration as both should be typical and undenied as a general rule.
As for the shingles, Redacted told me that the nurse came to see him on Wednesday, January 28, 2023 and told him she was going to have the doctor see him. My point was that if the doctor or nurse practitioner had seen him right away, he could have experienced much less discomfort as every minute counts in the early diagnosis of shingles in terms of starting the antiviral drugs. Whether or not Redacted thought he had a bug bite is irrelevant. He didn’t know what was wrong, therefore he asked for help. As for the comment that Redacted did not mention “itching” I find that most disingenuous as doctors should absolutely know and anyone who has had shingles knows, itching is one of the major complaints and it should be taken into consideration with the treatment plan.
It seems obvious that the number of medical issues plaguing Redacted over the last half a year has taken a toll on his physical being, but very importantly as well, his mental and emotional health. The stress for him is overwhelming, as he writes to me, and I want to remind the clinical staff that even though he may not recount every detail of the many issues, I believe it is their responsibility, based on previous notes, to track the symptoms and ask relevant questions. He did, on December 29, 2023, complain to me that urination hurts near the end. I don’t know why he has this symptom, but if he were not in prison, he would have had an appointment with the urologist. He and I did go over his blood work results and I ran everything by my friend, who is a doctor, so that I understood and could relate to him what everything meant. I think it would be far more beneficial for the doctors at South Woods to take the time to explain these results, as then Redacted would not worry about numbers that were high or low.
The neurologist with whom Redacted and Dr. Malta consulted by video, a couple of months ago, recommended an EMG. The root cause of the issues with his calves is still not known. When will this occur?
As for the medical records request, I am unclear. Did he already sign the MR022? Did he submit it November 17, 2022, as you made note? Does he have to submit this form at certain intervals of time and if so, please send him the paperwork as he has no access to forms.
Regarding the compression stockings, Redacted did tell me he received them at the beginning of December and that they were too small. He told me with total recollection that he was not offered to go get fitted on December 20, 2023. As for the January 17, 2023 date, no one came to get him. I was waiting to see if this happened, and it did not. When will Redacted get fitted for the compression stockings?
Dr. Scott Parker, the clinical psychologist, must understand that, because of Redacted’s medical, emotional, and mental stress, given the lack of timely care and other related factors over the last few months, there is also a huge amount of distrust with any practitioner, as the system has failed him over and over these past 5 months and beyond. Redacted and I support counseling but want to know if this is “confidential,” as in the real world, unless you intend harm to yourself or others, or not confidential.. Redacted and I discussed the sessions, and I told him to find out exactly what the privacy limitations are before he gets into what should be a “trusting” relationship with Dr. Parker. What are the “goals” of the sessions? What are the expectations?
On another note, today I received a letter from Redacted, explaining that when he was brought to the EMU, medical clinic, a week or so ago, and then finally moved back to another pod, instead of where he was previously located, many of his personal items were once again, stolen. This occurs every time he is moved. The stealing of personal items is directly under the supervision of the Correction Officers, as they oversee the other prisoners that pack up the rooms. Every item that Redacted has purchased comes through the commissary or comes through the mail room. The commissary items are all tracked through the electronic system through which they are purchased. When Redacted appealed in the past to have items returned to him or at the very least reimbursed for what was stolen, he was denied. WHY? The tv that went missing back in the summer was paid for by me. There is a record of that purchase. The clothing that was purchased has a record in the system. The packing up of Redacted’s personal items was totally out of his control each and every time.
I will assume that the mail room tracks every book that I send to Redacted. I have my receipts. Some of his books were stolen. Where did his books go? Someone has them.
This issue is totally avoidable. The other prisoners cannot steal items if the CO’s don’t allow it. The DOC is ultimately responsible for this as they allow this culture of stealing to permeate the prisons. They allow the CO’s to do this, by virtue of doing nothing to stop it, and everyone knows it. There should be an accounting of what was stolen and Redacted should be reimbursed by the DOC. You have the receipts. You can see what Redacted has in his possession. This is not a hard problem to solve. Make the CO’s wear body cameras. Make sure they are on. Make them accountable for their behavior.
How do illegal drugs come into the prison? They are brought in by employees, not by the pigeon that drops the drugs down the chimney. When is the DOC going to do something about this egregious, illegal and dangerous, life-threatening behavior by the employees? It is reflective of the Commissioner and her staff that this behavior by the CO’s is continually allowed to prevail. A change has to come from the top of management, not the bottom ranks. Governor Murphy and Commissioner Kuhn, I implore you to do something about this now.
It is just plain wrong!
Sincerely,
Susan Guardia
IP Redacted
DOC Correspondence (DOC)
Thu, Jan 12, 12:10 PM
Dear Ms. Guardia,
Thank you for your inquiry concerning your son, Redacted. After speaking with Operations, it is noted that IP Redacted received toilet paper and was offered a shower on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; however only chose to shower on Wednesday and refused to shower on Monday and Friday.
In your correspondence dated December 31, 2022, with regard to the assertion that IP Redacted was not provided care for his shingles within the first 48 hours, the patient did not submit a sick call slip through JPay, nor were any paper sick calls slips triaged regarding this issue. The patient was evaluated by a nurse on December 29, 2022, and complained of a bug bite. The nurse wrote a referral for the patient to be evaluated by his provider, and was offered medication for his symptoms; which he declined. The patient’s physician evaluated him on December 30, 2022, at which point he was diagnosed with shingles. The patient described his symptoms as pain and burning; but did not mention itching. He was prescribed acyclovir and encouraged to continue to take his pain medication (acetaminophen – prescribed on 10/3/22 and gabapentin – prescribed on 11/30/22). On January 1, 2023, diphenhydramine HCL was prescribed to relieve the itching, as reported in your correspondence.
In your correspondence dated December 30, 2022, it was stated that IP Redacted was experiencing painful urination. He was seen for this on November 24, 2022, and his urine dip was negative; however the patient’s provider ordered further diagnostic testing. The results of his blood work and urinalysis were normal, and this was shared with the patient on November 30, 2022. Additionally, he was provided with hard copies of his test and consultation reports on this date. He did again ask for additional copies of the test results that were provided to him on November 30, and when reminded of this, became angry and threatening toward the physician. During a sick call on December 15, 2022, the patient was asked about any urinary pain he may be experiencing, to which he denied any pain or difficulty urinating.
Further, the patient was instructed that he can request copies of his medical records such as lab results and his HIPAA release information by submitting the MR022 form. Per the medical records clerk, the patient has not submitted an MR 022 since November 17, 2022. Of note, the patient’s physician supplied him with additional copies of his lab results on December 30, 2022. With regard to his mental health records, the patient met with his psychiatrist on December 6, 2022, and during his session was provided with the process by which mental health records are obtained. The patient’s request was received and is currently under review. Once Rutgers determines what should be released to the patient, the records will be prepared and provided to the patient.
As you noted, the patient was provided with compression stockings, but later complained they were too small. In response, medical staff scheduled him for a consultation with the prosthetic specialist for appropriate fitting stockings on December 20, 2022. The patient did not attend this appointment. The prosthetic clinic was rescheduled for January 17, 2023, and the patient was counseled about the importance of his attendance.
When IP Redacted complained of an injury to his knee on December 3, 2033, he was prescribed a muscle rub, which has since expired. The patient has not requested a renewal. The patient was since reevaluated on December 19, 2022 and asked for an increase in his gabapentin. The provider counseled him on the risks of increasing his gabapentin while he is newly prescribed suboxone; which at the time was still being titrated up by his psychiatrist. He was encouraged to continue taking his gabapentin as prescribed and to allow for at least 30 days for the medication to take effect. He was since seen by the physician on December 30, 2022 and January 2, 2023, to which he did not express any concerns about continued leg pain or swelling during these follow-up appointments.
The “therapist” that IP Redacted met with is Dr. Scott Parker, psychologist, who introduced himself to the patient on October 13, 2022, upon first meeting. During this visit, the patient was advised of the frequency of his therapy sessions and that he would be offered out of cell therapy sessions to ensure his privacy, to which the patient expressed agreement. He has been offered out of cell therapy on December 7 and 21, 2022; however declined, preferring to have his therapy session at the cell door. The patient was seen most recently by his psychologist on January 4, 2023, and he acknowledged that Dr. Parker introduced himself and informed the patient of his qualifications, however admitted he has trouble remembering the names of his providers. His primary therapist will continue to offer out of cell sessions.
We hope you will find this comprehensive response satisfactory; but please feel free to reach out to the Correspondence Unit should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Community & Offender Correspondence Unit
Office of the Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Corrections
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