CountyJail.net

Find Cook County Jail inmates...

Medications

Interview with Jason, Kat, DavidP, keke, Teabag, Crystal, Edward, isaac, Lucky, Laydie, Kathy, Lisa, Apache, Janet, Ron, Ryan, Laetia, Laura, Fernando, Gail, George, Rich, Mark, John, Juan, Erik, Scott, Shawn, Dominic, James, Carl, Josh and Jose

JM: Did you always have access to necessary medications?
Jason: No
Kat: No, and they don't give you water to take meds and they didn't admin them correctly.
DavidP: When you first come in, you're processed initially. They talk about your health, and so on, and you tell them what you've been receiving prior to coming to jail, or what you need at the jail. Then they check with your pharmacy and your doctor. Those people are going to know. It's kind of embarrassing, but they can't take your word for it, so they check with the pharmacy and the doctor to see how often they prescribe it, and the pharmacy to see how often it's filled and how to provide it. The jail does give it, but most of the time, they won't give the exact manufacturer of the drug. They give a generic generic, but if something new comes up, it's very, very difficult to have a new prescription prescribed. They don't go out of their way to help you. The doctor that's there, they're there all day, 12 hours. Nurses are there 24 hours, but if you want something new, there's one doctor that serves 300 people, and they don't work fast when they want to work. It's difficult to get new prescriptions if something comes up, whatever it may be. In my case, it was really tough because I have gout. It's a condition that swells up, and you can get it in different areas. You can get it in your toes, and it's the most painful thing. I've had broken bones, I've had a lot of things from sports that I've played, and there's never been any pain as great as this gout, and it comes on in a moment's notice, and within one hour, it's 0-10, and when it's a 10, it's like a women giving birth. It's tremendous. Anyway, it came on when I was there, and it comes on from poor food, and a lot of sodium can cause it. Anyway, it came on to me when I was there, and I couldn't even walk. I literally couldn't walk. I had to have a cane and a wheelchair and crutches. They wouldn't give me a thing. They didn't care - they wouldn't give me a thing. It's difficult to get anything new, other than what you're prescribed.
keke: hell no you could put in a sick slip and be called to the nurse 2weeks later
Teabag: NO
Crystal: No they were withheld, generics substituted and I became ill.
Edward: no,the officers and in house doctors would tell you nothings wrong with you
isaac: yes
Lucky: yes
Laydie: yes
Kathy: Sometimes
Lisa: no
Apache: no
Janet: NO.
Ron: no
Ryan: yes
Laetia: no
Laura: Not prescribed.
Fernando: no,sometimes you would have access
Gail: Rarely.You had to beg.The only medication being distributed in widespread form was Colace...For everyone that ended up constipated upon coming in..Yeah I loved it when they double dosed me and I had a blowout in a bathroom with no lighting.Totally missing the bowl and having to run out of a stall with my pants half down,turning on the light and cleaning up the shit I had inside me for days,,,,,Yes this was a customary routine when you first came in...Load em with Colace and watch out for the Blowout......
George: Yes they will give meds.
Rich: yes for my blood pressure
Mark: Nooooooo!!! i have asked for doctors because i have had multiple surgeries. i have had a cough and a cold in jail and i have never received anything.
John: sometimes depends on what was the problem
Juan: yes like i said i got my methadone in a detoxed fashion...thatis 3 mg les a day
Erik: NO I DID NOT TAKE MEDS
Scott: yes, if it was prescribed my a doctor.
Jason: YES IF YOU TOOK MEDICATION THEY BROUGHT IT TO YOU TWICE A DAY. IF IT CALLED FOR A DIFFRENT SCHEDULE THE YOU WAS OUT OF LUCK UNLESS IT WAS NON NACARDIC AND COULD HAVE IT ON YOUR PERSON
Shawn: going to thedoctor was like pulling teeth nobody wants to believe you ar esick and frankly i think they could carless b/c some officer is going to hav e to go out of his way to bring you ovrto medical
Dominic: Inmates had access to medication.
James: they are pretty up on med but they only come 2 time a day
Carl: no it stayed with the duty guards
Josh: No it took 6 months to see a dentist
Jose: I did not take any medications at the time.

JM: How did you get your medications?
Jason: Once during booking from a nurse, for blood presure
Kat: Nurse who did not wear gloves even when giving eye drops before giving me my meds. Disgusting!
DavidP: The nurses come around three times a day. For me, I only needed it twice a day, so I only saw them twice a day, but three times a day, they come to your area with a cart with all of the drugs and medicine in a cart. Most of the time it's already put into little Dixie cups with your name on it prior to them coming to your area. They just call your name out and give you the cup that has your pills inside, so they don't pour it out there, They've already taken the time to do it. It's already ready, so they bring it to you. They made you swallow while you're there. You can't take the cup and walk away. There's even a guard there with the nurse to make sure no one causes trouble, because a lot of guys try.
keke: please
Teabag: You would have to put in request slips with the Social Workers whom would come every 2 weeks. The request would then POSSIBLY be processed where you would be sent to see a doctor at the dispensary and then if approved would be sent to the hospital wing to be examined etc etc and get the medications you needed. If you were (prior to incarceration) prescribed psych medications there was a 80% chance that if you spent 1-2 months in the county jail fighting your case that you would not receive the medications that you so desperately needed.
Crystal: Nurse gives them and you must swallow them in front of the nurse.
Edward: after being sick and showing signs of being sick sometimes you could get proper meds.
isaac: nurse
Lucky: nurse
Laydie: by asking the guards respectfully,and informing them of your need for different kinds of medicines
Kathy: Have to ask for the guards to let you put in a request for medics.
Lisa: n/a
Apache: put in reqest
Janet: A NURSE COMES 2 TIMES ADAY AND GIVES MEDS TO EVERY ONE PERSCIBED.IF SHE COMES.
Ron: no
Ryan: nurse came to the deck
Fernando: from the medical ward on the jail block,guards have to be notified first,doctors check up and then usually meds are given
Gail: Beg,cry......They acted like Tylenol was the Gateway drug to harder things........You had to fill out forms to see dentists or doctors which rarely were addressed and if they were addressed in a timely manner it was only to pacify you aso that you thought the County Jail was actually going to do something for you and the better ofyour health..
George: I was not taking medication at the time.But other would have the medication delivered to there floor and dispursed in a paper cup.
Rich: a nurse came around and despensed them to you at the entrance of your unit, two to three times per day.
Mark: i personally never got any medications in the jail when i have requested to even see a doctor. i have seen other inmates with medications prescribed in jail.
John: i got my medications by filling out a request form in when the doctor or nurse got two you that's when they got to you unless it was life threating
Juan: i was escorted by an officer to the hospital inside the jaill everyday with about 6 other people...other medicationswere provided..but nop narcotic based benzos adderrall etc
Erik: I HAD NO MEDS, HAD NO NEED FOR MEDS, DIDN'T WANT ANY MEDS, AND DON'T LIKE AKING MEDS, AND I DON'T TRUST THE COUNTY
Scott: A health care worker came by with a cart and water and people meds. They also carried very general stuff as well.
Jason: NO I DIDN'T NEED ANY MEDICATIONS. I DID NEED SOME CONTACT SOLUTIONS AND THESE WAS MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE DOCTOR UNTIL I WENT TO COMM
Shawn: you would have to beg and plead to get your meds and usually you wouldnt get anything medicl was horrible
Dominic: I never required any type of medication, but if I had needed medication, I would have been granted access to it.
James: nurse would bring them. sometime depending on the drug they would give you blister packs. for narcotics they delivered by dose.
Carl: i never needed meds but others people would have to see the doctor before any meds were given out to anyone
Josh: A nurse comes by everyday with her cart. She'll give you some asprin if you ask. Anything more and then you have to go see a doc.
Jose: Every morning a person would come in and people would line up for their medications. They stated their name and the nurse gave them the proper meds. You were forced to take them in front of the nurse and then the next person repeated the process.

JM: What types of punishments were incurred for abuse of drugs? Did you ever witness this?
Jason: Na
Kat: Don't know
DavidP: There's a lot of shenanigans. A lot of guys get pain pills and stuff, and they sell them in there. They try this all the time, so the guard is always there. They bring it to your area. I just kept it nice and easy - I didn't want any problems. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. So again, you don't want to cause any problems to get you screwed up.
keke: none they tell you to throw it away you got crooked officers
Teabag: If you were a known Heroin or Cocaine user prior to incarceration and you complained that you needed medication or wanted medical attention that the request slips you submitted would be thrown into the trash by the Corrections officers. Officers would call you a HYPE or generally mistreat you if you were dope sick!
Crystal: NA
Edward: dont know
isaac: beaten
Lucky: never saw any drug abuse
Kathy: Don't know, did not abuse drugs.
Lisa: n/a
Apache: segragation transfer to worse place
Janet: YOU GO TO THE HOLE
Ron: solitary confinement
Ryan: segregation
Fernando: i never witness punishments for drug abuse,but im sure they had some,really tight security and lots of persons,so if you not in the situation you probably wont know whats goin on
Gail: None..But I have Osceola County Kissimme Florida stories....But that'll be another $25 bucks....lol I don't know what the procedures of the Cook County Jail were at the time I was incarcerated but I could never get anything.Osceola --- Kissimmee is another story with their privatized jail and drugging of people walking around like zombies...I mean why even try and go home??You have a bed,,nobody trying to get some..and you're high??Nobody ever caught anybody there.Florida is a cesspool of prescription drug abusers and the jail has employees that know inmates because the town is so small.......Did I tell you the first time I tried cocaine was in the Cook County Jail...The others insisted I do it and made a giant line for me in my room..The guards were coming and noone else would snort it so I did...Never got caught even though I probably talked myself to sleep that night.....Horrible feeling... Funnier more that they didn't find it in her shoes in plain sight
George: You would go to the hole for 48 hours and time would be added to your sentence.I never used before.
Rich: additional charges could be brought upon you. loss of phone, visitation ,comissary, confinement, might also be inflicted upon one who abused drugs.
Mark: i have never seen with my eyes the punishments or abuse other than when the jail guards would drag the inmate who is in trouble on the floor to a secluded area or room and i would be able to hear the abuse. they psychically beat the inmates sometimes and i have heard the inmates screaming from the abuse and pain.
John: the types of punishment were incurred for the abuse drugs that they would charge you with a additional charge SEND YOU TO THE hole i never witness that it
Juan: no never witnessed but i m sure you were put in some type of isolation cell were your priveleges of tv and commissary were taken away,,,all alone with just the bible ...limited shoower time and phone time too
Erik: I DON'T KNOW, I HADN'T SEEN ANYONE ABUSE OR MISUSE, THE MESS OR ANYTHING, BUT I IMAGINE MORE CHARGES CAN BE FILED
Scott: They only give one dose so hoarding drugs is really impossible. I never seen anyone doing this and it would have been easily seen.
Jason: I NEVER WITNESS ANYONE GET CAUGHT. I KNOW THQT DRUGS WAS THERE. INMATES WHO KNEW THAT THEY WAS COMING TO JAIL WOULD INGEST THE DRUGS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL THEN SELL AND BARTER THEM OFF FOR THING THAT THEY NEED AFTER JACKING UP THE PRICE
Shawn: i know you would have to go to seg then get another charge for bringing it into govt propert poor
Dominic: If an inmate was caught with illegal drugs, he was removed from the deck and placed in the hole, which was the jail slang term for solitary confinement
James: i didn't witness any of that. i didn't hear of any of that in that div. i imagine it was there but i didn't see it
Carl: lock downs, more time to your sentence some times the guards would beat the person if they caught them with it but usually they would just take that person to the hole
Josh: Drugs are everywhere. The gaurds really don't look because I think their afraid. I did see a guy get arrested for making hooch
Jose: Out of all the drug use I witnessed, I have never witnessed anybody getting caught. I heard that they move you to another area of the jail, but I never personally saw it.

Read about inmate clothing in the Cook County Jail