Medical Care in Prison
The ACLU National Prison Project works to ensure that prisoners receive adequate medical care while in custody. Locked out of sight and isolated from their families and communities, prisoners are vulnerable to deficient care that can lead to unnecessary suffering and even death.
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Features
Health Care at Ely State Prison (2010 case): In December of 2007, Dr. William Noel, a medical expert retained by the American Civil Liberties Union to investigate medical conditions inside the Ely State Prison in Ely, Nevada — a small town located at the junction of State Routes 50, 93 and 6 in Eastern Nevada — released a report that exposed galling inadequacies in the level of medical care provided to the 1,000 inmates — including more than 60 Death Row Prisoners — incarcerated there.
Pregnancy-Related Health Care in Prison (2009 feature)
Cases
Cajúne v. Lake County (2011 case): Settlement ensures proper medical treatment for pregnant mothers in Montana.
Shawanna Nelson v. Correctional Medical Services et al and Nelson v. Norris (2009 case): The case of an Arkansas woman who was shackled to her hospital bed while in labor in 2003.
Multimedia & Infographics
Video: Support Parole for the Elderly (2011 video): States spend huge amounts putting people in prison who simply don't need to be there. A lot of this money is spent keeping elderly people on lockdown. We should not be using taxpayer dollars to keep elderly or ailing individuals in prison when they are not dangerous to our communities. These elderly individuals should at least be given the right to present their case in a hearing before a parole board to determine whether they should be released to their families to care for them.
State Standards for Pregnancy-Related Health Care and Abortion for Women in Prison - Map (2009 map)
Other Resources
Know Your Rights: Medical, Dental and Mental Health Care (2011 feature): Prison officials are obligated under the Eighth Amendment to provide prisoners with adequate medical care. This principle applies regardless of whether the medical care is provided by governmental employees or by private medical staff under contract with the government.
Most Popular
ACLU Settles Lawsuit Charging Inadequate Care At Wisconsin Women's Prison (2010 press release): The ACLU settles a longstanding class-action lawsuit charging that grossly deficient medical and mental health care jeopardized the lives of prisoners at the state's largest women's prison.
Meeting the Health Care Needs of Pregnant Inmates (2009 blog post)
Ending the Inhumane Practice of Shackling Prisoners During Childbirth (2009 blog post)
ACLU of Arizona Lawsuit Triggers Transfer of TB Patient to Denver Hospital (2007 press release)
Federal Court to Hear Challenges to Deficient Health Care in Michigan Prisons After Prisoner Dies in Restraints (2006 press release)
ACLU Sues Major Medical Provider Over Deficient Care in Mississippi Prison (2005 press release)
ACLU Lawsuit Bolsters Federal Study Findings on Inmate Medical Treatment, Highlights Public Health Risk in Sub-Standard Care (2003 press release): In January 2003, the American Civil Liberties Union pointed to a Michigan class action lawsuit as proof positive of the need for improved prisoner health care in America, a need highlighted by a new federal study released this morning in San Antonio.
