BE THE LIGHT
Light, as they say, is the best disinfectant. The Prison Industrial Complex is infected to its core with corruption, greed, and cruelty.
The industry is dominated by massive, hugely profitable corporations not prone to changing their profit-driven practices. Fighting the Prison Industrial Complex does not come cheap. Any amount, large or small, can help.
Of course donations are just one way to get involved. If you would prefer to be more hands on, below are some additional ways you can help our mission.
CITIZEN ACTIVISM
For those who prefer to be more active, there are a number of ways to start uncovering the truth inside the black box of the Prison Industrial Complex.
Public Records Request
Every state has some form of public or open records act. Many allow attorney fees and costs for violations. Some have financial penalties.
Public records requests are fairly straightforward. There are a couple of basic rules:
– First, you can only ask for existing documents. The agency is not required to create documents of any kind.
– Second, the records must be public. Medical records and personnel files are not public records due to individual personal privacy concerns.
Primary Documents of Interest:
From Agencies Running Prisons and Jails:
1. Contracts between the states and counties with medical contractors.
2. Settlements by the states and counties related to their prisons and jails.
3. Audits by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and National Council on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).
4. List of fines and penalties issued against medical contractors for contract violations.
5. Payments to private attorneys for states and counties defending suits arising out of medical neglect.
From Other Agencies:
1. Documents from State Medicaid agencies showing the amount paid by Medicaid for incarcerated individuals.
2. State and County budget documents illustrating the budgets for corrections (prisons and jails).
Once you have these documents, share them with Prison Lights and we will make them publicly accessible on our website.
Make Some Noise
When you read about prison and jail abuses such as medical neglect in your own state or county, write to your state and national legislators demanding accountability and change. And follow up.
The fact is, nobody knows the true costs of prison medical neglect. To get to the truth, demand a full accounting of the costs of prisons and jails to taxpayers. This should include contract payments, Medicaid payments for those incarcerated, lifetime Medicaid payments for those injured by medical contractors after release from prison or jail, lifetime disability payments for those injured by medical contractors, and payments to private attorneys defending suits arising out of medical neglect.