JB: So, what happened?
JW: Instead, three months later, Gary was told he was going to be taken for a bladder scope, a test that takes 15-20 minutes. Since he had been ordered to report at 5:30 a.m., before the prison telephones are turned on at 6:00, he would not be able to call me that morning. But he assured me he would call as soon as he was able, expecting to be back at the prison within a few hours, no later than mid-day. I felt so sorry for him, again having to face such medical issues without the presence and support of anyone who cares for him, but to instead be accompanied by a sociopathic prison guard who would undoubtedly enjoy his suffering.
But Gary didn't call. He still hasn't called. He has not been returned to the prison. He has been hospitalized - or worse. I am his wife, his attorney-in-fact, his medical proxy, yet I am not allowed to participate in my husband's medical care or make his decisions while he is obviously incapacitated, incompetent or unable to do so. Prison employees have a conflict of interest in that they have no interest in Gary's health or survival. Gary and I are being denied and deprived of the mutual support we both need right now.
Yesterday a friend told me not to worry, that if anything was wrong, surely I would have been contacted. A friend who has been with us since long before prison, one who has listened to enough of the true-life horror stories about our prison experiences to have known better. But like so many others who find it impossible to believe the level of abuse American prisoners and their families are subjected to, a friend who ignored the reality apparently hoping encouragement would overcome the harsh cruelty of prison medical abuse in practice. I had to recount the experiences of so many other prisoners, including one in Forrest City whose bleeding became so profuse, he lost consciousness and had to be revived twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, where he was admitted, given 10 units of blood, and stabilized then returned to prison, without treating his cancer. We also learned about the Atlanta prisoner who died on a Tuesday but no one notified his wife, who showed up to visit him the following Saturday morning, only to be told by the prison employees that he was "not there" then, ultimately, at the prison visitation check-in where she had gone to visit her husband, she was informed he was dead. Imagine her drive back home.
As I have shared these incidents and others, especially the horrible ways in which Gary and I have been mistreated, reactions have varied from shock and disbelief to disgust and outrage, with more than one response being that we - America's prisons - treat terrorists better than this. I don't disagree. I remember public outrage when members of our military have been shown to abuse terrorists. They were held accountable - some lost their jobs and were prosecuted. No one in the BOP is held accountable; they freely abuse prisoners and family members however they want with no consequences, instead often getting promoted to higher positions with higher pay. Yet the damage they do is incalculable. Not just the harm to prisoners and families, but such destruction to "truth, justice and the American way" that no Superman could fix.
Of course, I've called and contacted the prison, regional office and even the Washington office, encountering only one semi-human who would tell me only that Gary was not dead while acknowledging some kind of medical crisis. But then another prison employee - "Williams" - at the prison flatly lied to me, saying, "He's still here." When I explained that I was aware he was NOT there and that I had been directed to the medical services department at the prison to obtain information, he refused to transfer me, saying smugly, "They're not going to tell you anything. Have a good day." Then he hung up. To be very clear, the Washington office and the regional office both told me to call the prison's "health services" department, and the case manager at the prison told me that was who I needed to speak with then said she was transferring me. The Washington office even gave me a direct telephone number. Yet "Williams" refused to allow my call. I'm left knowing my husband is in distress in some kind of health crisis, and I only get more abuse, lies and injustice.
No one should be so badly abused. Not even prisoners and their families. More and more often in so many ways, our government engages in terrorism against its citizens.
JB: Quite a saga, Judy. Thank you for sharing such personal aspects of your life with us at OpEdNews. Let us know when you hear from Gary again. I know it's a platitude, but, in the meantime, please try to hang in there.
JW: Thank you for your ongoing interest and support, Joan. Gary and I appreciate it.
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Breaking news: Judy spoke to Gary right before this interview was posted. All we know at this point is that he had been hospitalized and has now been returned to prison. Obviously, many questions remain.
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* Judy White series, in its entirety:
Judy White Fights For Incarcerated Husband's Access to His Prescriptions October 13, 2010
The Feds and the Prisoner's Wife - Do Unto Others... as You Please October 27, 2010
Come and Get It! Prisoners Served Expired Food, "Not for Human Consumption" November 10, 2010
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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