from Janelle Evyn with a few edits from me. Who knew that the DC Council is voting TOMORROW on whether or not to privatize the DC Jail healthcare contract and give it to a for-profit company with a HORRIBLE track record???? PLEASE send an email to Councilmembers immediately! Heres a sample: COUNCILMEMBERS EMAILS TO COPY/PASTE: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] SAMPLE EMAIL: Dear Councilmembers, I am writing to urge you to vote against the Office of Contracting and Procurement’s recommendation to award the DC Jail healthcare contract to Corizon, a for-profit company with a disturbing track record.This represents a disgusting trend in the privatization of public services. No one should be profiting off the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people! Corizon is a for-profit company that exclusively operates within correctional facilities. For-profit correctional healthcare is generally worrisome because concerns about profit margins incentivize cheaper, lower quality provision of care. Corizon has been sued almost 700 times in the past five years because of horrific deaths and permanent injuries to men and women in their care. Problems have been documented in lawsuits and court or police investigations in Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, and Virginia. In Arizona, the state spent over $3,000,000 defending a suit based on Corizon’s failures before settling for a judgment in plaintiffs’ favor. In neighboring Virginia, Corizon abruptly terminated its contract rather than participate in a trial over its failure to provide adequate medical care. The state was left as the sole defendant and forced to hire a much more expensive contractor, and just last week, the plaintiffs won partial summary judgment against the Virginia Department of Corrections. We simply cannot understand how a company with such a dubious record could be selected to provide healthcare at the jail and CTF. University Legal Services (ULS) is the designated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities in the District of Columbia. Many of ULS’s clients returning from the Federal Bureau of Prisons who have not received proper mental health care are unable to even communicate their needs, let alone engage in the services they need to be successful. We know from experience how important mental health services are to DC’s returning citizens, their families, and the community at large. Councilmember, I urge you to vote against OCP’s recommendation. The Council should provide leadership on this issue, rejecting the for-profit privatization of healthcare, and insisting on a provider with a record of providing responsible care to individuals who are incarcerated and have no opportunity to go elsewhere to seek better medical and mental health care. I will be contacting your office to find out how you plan to vote on this critically important issue. Sincerely, XXXX Your Name and Address
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:03:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015