Part 4: Inside Century Correctional – Medical And Dental

July 18, 2013

Today, we continue our  look inside the Century Correctional Institution with a look inside the medical and dental operation. Our series will continue Monday inside the prison’s most secure housing unit and more.

Need a cleaning? A filling? Dentures? Just $5 from your inmate account will get you fixed up in Century Correctional Institution. Inmates can get a cleaning about every six months, and there’s no charge for emergency dental services.

The Medical Department at CCI includes medical, dental and psychological services with a total staff of 28 and annual budget around $2 million. The facility includes a doctor’s office, dentist and urgent care clinic rolled into one.  Inmates line benches in the waiting room, facing windows  away from the front desk. They sit quietly, no television and no magazines. There’s a dentist on staff.  There’s always at least an LPN or RN present, allowing CCI to operate an infirmary. Inmates that are transported to a hospital for services not provided are able to return to the infirmary for recovery.

Heading to the clinic is not an easy out from a prisoner’s cell — there’s a copay from their prison accounts unless it’s a medical emergency. Century CI houses and cares for inmates up to medical grade 3 and psych grade 2. That means no wheelchairs and no inmates on continuous psychiatric drugs (those inmates are transferred to the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution).

The State of Florida is in the process of privatizing prison health services, leaving current medical department employees uncertain about their  future at the prison.

Our series “Inside Century Correctional Institution” continues Monday on NorthEscambia.com.

Pictured top: The medical facility inside Century Correctional Institution. Pictured inset: Dental facilities. Pictured below: A medical exam room. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

3 Responses to “Part 4: Inside Century Correctional – Medical And Dental”

  1. David Huie Green on July 20th, 2013 12:55 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Break the law, get benefits. It makes me sick.”

    If you take control of a person’s life, you are responsible for that life.
    I don’t like either but if he dies in prison because you withheld medical care, then you have given him a death sentence for a crime which may have only rated 3 years imprisonment.

    That would be cruel and unusual punishment and is forbidden by our Constitution.

    To truly save money, we need ways to restrict criminality without taking killers and thieves in to raise. GPS monitoring on anklets is a partial solution but only partial. Prefrontal lobotomies are another solution but generally considered too extreme especially when we realize we might unintentionally find ourselves in danger at some time due to frame-ups, perjury or misunderstandings.

    If you have a better way, please, please, please tell us.

    David for better living

  2. TyroneC on July 18th, 2013 7:33 pm

    Break the law, get benefits. It makes me sick.

  3. jim brown on July 18th, 2013 8:43 am

    this is great