“Using a one-size-fits-all policy that arbitrarily denies needed medical care to individuals in state custody is in clear violation of the ADA,” said Freda Levenson, legal director of the ACLU of Ohio, in a written release. “Federal law requires that prisons care for individuals’ medical needs on a case-by-case basis, and the state has a responsibility to ensure that all people housed in prisons are treated humanely.”
Inmate James Handwork is serving a 15-year sentence for murder at Lake Erie Correctional Institution, a privately owned and operated prison that houses state prisoners. His two hearing aids are outdated, the suit says.
Credit: Laura Bischoff
Credit: Laura Bischoff
In late 2011, Ohio became the first state in the country to sell a government-owned prison to a private company. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio opposes privatization of incarceration duties.
Corrections Corporation of America, which bought the Conneaut facility for $72.7 million, has a state contract to house and provide medical care for Ohio inmates.
Credit: Laura Bischoff
Credit: Laura Bischoff
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