A case of gangrene raises health concerns at the East Coast Forensic Hospital

“. . .

Martha Paynter, a PhD candidate and nurse who is the founder of Women’s Wellness Within, says that unfortunately these kinds of medical conditions are common in correctional settings. She says cases like an infection escalating to gangrene are caused by systemic issues:

There is not enough attention to physical well-being and carceral facilities are known to have poor hygienic conditions. This results in circumstances that allow an escalation of harm.

What cases like this show is that it is a persistent myth that carceral facilities are an adequate health care resource for people experiencing social marginalization. When we combine the goals of treatment with punishment we will inevitably fail.

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