A Little Bug Named MRSA

Whether or not the majority of inmates suing the county for MRSA related medical conditions have legitimate cause, one thing is clear—many of the conditions in Northampton County Prison are in rough shape and that ‘s being kind. In a PBS/Tempo feature I participated in on the *‘Criminal Justice System’ County Executive John Stoffa stated when referring to overcrowded prison cells, “We treat animals better than we treat some of our people…it’s horrible.” In a recent meeting I was invited to presenting the options for a prison expansion, it was made clear the prison was in violation of numerous codes, one of the reasons justifying on and off campus expansions. In the midst of this, Mr. Stoffa is a compassionate man who has the vision to stand at the plate not only for sweeping improvements but sustainable changes affecting recidivism.

I’ve heard a number of complaints from ex-convicts not only about the conditions but also about medical treatment. I’ve been in the prison and seen some of the conditions first hand and interact with colleagues who have spent a lot of time inside ministering to inmates. Bernie O’Hare’s blog ‘Lehigh Valley Ramblings’ gives voice to a former inmate named Lorena who tells her story of medical neglect.

MRSA or the phonetic ‘mursa’ is a ‘super' bacteria staph infection that is
highly resistant to antibiotics. In correctional facilities, the highest risk inmates are injection users primarily because the bacteria often enter through small wounds. MRSA increases in prisons where there is shared use of soap, self drained boils, hand washed clothes, skin lacerations, recent tattoos and previous antibiotic use, shared pillows and bed sheets, insect bites and rubbing up against boils and even visits to the infirmary. Symptoms include minor to serious skin infections, pneumonia, sepsis and even death. The rate of infection of men is slightly higher than women in the correctional system.

The existing NHC prison was built in 1871 at a cost of $200,000. Imagine that! Today it costs tax payers an estimated $25,000 to $50,000 a year to accommodate one inmate. Given the original structure is 140 years old it stands to reason it is plagued with problems even with some recent construction and add-ons. It’s no secret during summer months inmates have had to sleep on the gym floor like sardines without air conditioning and little air circulation in the sweltering summer heat. I’m no medical expert but since shared bed linens are a cause along with personal contact, I’d guess those factors do more to promote MRSA than prevent it.

What does bothers me is MRSA is being effectively managed by other corrections facilities with dramatic drops in reported cases. It does not stand to reason altogether, based on the availability of preventative measures successfully implemented by other facilities that NHC Prison has such a staggering rate of infection. Preventions and interventions include what seem to be common sense strategies such as; skin screenings, inmate education, alcohol-based hand rubs, appropriate laundering, improved access to soap and wound care, surveillance and required necessary treatment. A good source of information on treatment and prevention is available at the Massachusetts Health and Human Services web site.

The important question is, ‘Do we care?’ Scrolling down comments attached to prison or crime related stories in our online media paints a picture of a largely dispassionate if not vengeful citizenry. I believe justice must always be salted with mercy—it’s the Christian in me. People are made in the image of God possessing a value that should give us pause to consider what kind of punitive measures we will levy to those justly convicted of a crime. While citizens have every right and reason to expect a criminal to ‘pay his or her debt back to society,’ (what a subjective statement and material for a future post!) we have the responsibility to treat our prison population, no matter how offensive to us they may be, with dignity even when they most likely have not done it to others.

Perhaps even with prevention and intervention measures the condition of the prison is such that officials cannot stop the spread of MRSA. That leads us to the even greater issue of prison expansion. Will a new prison curb the spread of infections? I don’t know but having raised the expansion, deserving of far better treatment than I can do justice here, I would like to pass on the following information along provided to me by Cathy Stoops of the School of Natural Learning:

The Northampton County Department of Corrections will hold a community forum to discuss how to reduce the high rate of recidivism among non-violent offenders. The forum is 6 pm Thursday at Bethany Wesleyan Church, 675 Blue Mountain Drive, Cherryville, PA.

Directions to the church

I’ll be posting on the expansion in the near future. It is critically important for the public to be well aware of the implications of the proposals now being discussed including costs of well over 100 million dollars and at least one recommendation of five to build a much larger facility in Easton. A grass roots movement is underway to mobilize a public response through the faith community—more on that later.

*the PBS/Tempo feature is #5 on the face page