The Sad State Of Medical Care In Federal Prison!

In a recent commentary in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Michael Frantz, a leading Federal Prison Consultant with Jail Time Consulting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, responded to an editorial titled, "Inmate deaths: Lengthy appeals process the real problem". The author of the editorial, Assistant Chief of Police Al Ortenzo, also indicated that the level of healthcare in federal prison is far better than the inmates received in the outside world. Frantz's response was a resounding "No".



Michael Frantz was in total agreement with Mr. Ortenzo's opinion that the appeal process seems overly burdensome in our court system. He also agreed that Death Row should be a short term holding facility but only after all exhaustive attempts have been made to ensure that real justice has been afforded each prisoner. Frantz went on to say, "I assume, after reading Mr. Ortenzo's article that he is a proponent for the death penalty. I myself, am not against the death penalty, but only when it is clearly determined that the individual who is about to die really did the crime. There cannot be any mistakes."



In his article, Mr. Ortenzo states, "Each and every case, no matter how egregious the crime, certainly deserves several layers of careful and exhaustive reviews." "Unfortunately", cautioned Frantz, "that is currently not happening."



With the advent of DNA testing, many wrongfully incarcerated individuals are being proven innocent and being released from federal incarceration. The Innocence Project alone on April 23, 2007 exonerated its 200th inmate who was wrongfully convicted based on eyewitness identification through misidentification. Mr. Jerry Miller was exonerated through DNA testing and DNA evidence. He had always maintained his innocence but to no avail. Fortunately, he was released after serving 24 painful years in federal prison for a crime he did not commit. Jerry Miller lost nearly his entire adult life because of a wrongful conviction. He didn't go to the death chamber, he didn't lose his life. Yet how many innocent individuals have gone to the death chamber before DNA testing could prove them innocent? We will never know, but even one is too many.





In cases where the accused admits guilt to the crime and there can be no possible mistake as evidenced by DNA testing, the death penalty may be warranted. "But until that happens", said Frantz, "we cannot say that several layers of careful and exhaustive reviews have taken place."





Mr. Ortenzo also stated, "Studies show that all prisoners, including those on death row, typically receive a far better level of medical care from taxpayers than they would otherwise have provided for themselves outside the prison walls." Frantz heartedly disagreed with this statement saying, "I doubt that Mr. Ortenzo has ever been incarcerated in a federal prison. I have." http://www.jailtimeconsulting.com/about-mike-frantz.php After nearly 36 months in both a Federal Prison Camp and Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, Florida, Frantz contended that the medical care in the Bureau of Prisons is pathetic, appalling and inexcusable! Michael Frantz emphazized, "There are many federal prisoners serving sentences far less than death row inmates. Many have been convicted of crimes much less severe than those of Death Row inmates. I had far better medical care before my imprisonment as did many of the other white-collar inmates who were there during my incarceration." Unfortunately, he continued, "Studies can be made to say anything the author directs or distorts them to say." Although this is unfortunate, it is true.





The federal government recently spent billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out the banks, auto manufacturers, investment firms, and Wall Street companies in a matter of weeks if not days. The executives of these companies are not even in federal prison for their mismanagement and crimes. Yet, the federal government and the Bureau of Prisons cannot see to it that individuals incarcerated in federal prison, regardless if they are on death row or not, are provided even minimal standards of healthcare.





Author Bio

Mr. Frantz is a leading national Federal Prison Consultant with JT Consulting LLC (Jail Time Consulting) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The staff of JT Consulting LLC provides consultation services, books, JT Special Reports©, as well as timely information to those individuals and their families who are preparing for federal incarceration. JT Consulting offers solutions to the problems that men and women facing federal incarceration are confronted with. These are solutions to real life issues affecting their families, their livelihood, and their future. Mr. Frantz has authored a book on federal prison titled, "Jail Time, What you need to know...Before you go to federal prison!" He has also authored over thirty-five JT Special Reports© on various federal prison issues affecting both the inmate and his/her family. He writes a daily blog on the Jail Time Consulting website http://www.jailtimeconsulting.com and answers readers' questions and comments. He can be reached at 954-522-2254, 800-804-4686, or at mike@jailtimeconsulting.com