Editorial: Treating inmates humanely?

Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 | 7:29 a.m.

Inmates at the maximum-security Ely State Prison are not getting adequate medical care, according to the American Civil Liberties Union's National Prison Project.

The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday laid out a series of accusations that include the death of an inmate who had gangrene, which went untreated, and the seemingly routine rejection of necessary medicine for other inmates.

At the request of the ACLU, Dr. William Noel reviewed inmate medical records and interviewed prisoners.

"The pervasive disregard for human suffering and the shocking medical malpractice revealed in the 35 case files I reviewed is almost unbelievable," Noel wrote in a report on his findings. He said he doubted the poor treatment was limited to this group.

Prison officials say they believe there is at least an adequate level of care for inmates, but the last full-time doctor at the men's prison in Ely was an obstetrician-gynecologist. He left 18 months ago.

This prison systems' medical care has been criticized in the past. Prison officials have said they have a difficult job, trying to manage appropriate care on a budget when prisoners often deluge the staff with frivolous complaints.

However, it is the state's responsibility to provide adequate care for inmates, and the state could face costly lawsuits if the ACLU is correct. Noel's report raises serious questions about whether the state is acting responsibly.

To get to the bottom of this, the state should commission an independent investigation of the prisons' medical care and fix any problems found.