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Council member inquires about "medlock" and medical care protocols in DOC facilities
1:24:19
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161 sec
Council Member Sandy Nurse questions DOC officials about the term "medlock" and its implications for inmate medical care, following an incident where an inmate (Charisma Jones) was denied medical attention. James Conroy from DOC explains the informal nature of the term and its various applications in facilities.
- "Medlock" is described as a colloquial term for medical lock-in, used in facilities without dedicated communicable disease units.
- The discussion reveals potential issues in communication and protocol surrounding medical isolation of inmates.
- Council Member Nurse requests formal documentation of the protocols for determining and communicating "medlock" status.
Sandy Nurse
1:24:19
And one other question.
1:24:22
Similarly, under the investigation investigations around Charisma Jones, They found that she was repeatedly denied medical care even after being transferred to the infirmary, with staff claiming that she was on medlock.
1:24:40
And officers stopped medical staff from entering her cell multiple times to check her vitals.
1:24:45
As you know, she was later rushed to the hospital, pronounced dead from multi organ failure.
1:24:50
Can you clarify what being on medlock means?
1:24:56
And under what conditions someone would be put on medlock?
James Conroy
1:24:59
So so medlock is it's not something that we find in our operational directives.
1:25:05
It's more something that's a colloquial term.
1:25:07
It's medical lock in.
1:25:10
So in that facility, particular, Rose M.
1:25:12
Singer, there is no communicable disease unit.
1:25:16
So that is what would be used at that time.
1:25:19
It's just something where there is a condition where they can't be otherwise in the dorm areas or you know in other facilities that they're sent there.
1:25:29
It's also sometimes used in circumstances when a person newly in intake has not been medically cleared so where they won't consent to certain procedures or otherwise.
1:25:40
So that's that's what that area is specifically.
Sandy Nurse
1:25:43
So who makes those determinations in a in a facility?
James Conroy
1:25:47
It's it's done by in certain circumstances, CHS would make that determination.
1:25:52
In others, it's, again, on the security front when they've not been cleared.
1:25:55
I think it's done by our intake.
Sandy Nurse
1:25:57
And that's communicated outward to wardens
Althea V. Stevens
1:26:01
on the
Sandy Nurse
1:26:01
floor, your deputy wardens on the floor?
1:26:03
Like how does that trickle down for someone to know that this this young woman was on the colloquially termed Medlock?
James Conroy
1:26:10
I think it specifically has to yes.
1:26:12
I think it has to go to the the facility leadership.
1:26:15
Though, again, I I don't know the exact processes and and the dissemination of information, but the wardens in those facilities would know who's supposed to be assigned to those areas.
Sandy Nurse
1:26:23
Would you mind providing the protocol for that so we can understand how that is determined, under what conditions, and how that gets how it's supposed to be communicated out?
James Conroy
1:26:32
Yeah.
1:26:33
As I mentioned, that's that's a colloquial term that's kind of used for that.
Sandy Nurse
1:26:35
I I know that, but if someone is being put aside for some kind of quarantine or something or medical staff are being denied to go check up on someone, there must be a I imagine there's a protocol with that, and if not, we have a serious problem.
1:26:51
So if there is one, we'd like to have it.
James Conroy
1:26:52
We certainly will.
1:26:53
Thank you.
1:26:53
I
Sandy Nurse
1:26:57
believe those are all Oh, final question.