The Aftermath of Armor Correctional Health Services Controversy

Healthcare can be challenging enough; add private companies, inmates, and allegations of neglect into the mix, and it becomes even more so. That is exactly the situation surrounding Armor Correctional Health Services – a provider contracted to provide healthcare in prisons and jails nationwide – but things become even more complicated than expected. 

Similar to how shared property access leads to many questions (recall the Montecito Country Club easement dispute?), lawsuits filed against Armor bring up deeper issues regarding accountability and rights within correctional institutions.

This story involves lawsuits, preventable deaths and an approach that prioritizes cost savings over quality care delivery. But more than just being an extended series of legal battles, this narrative speaks volumes about how private actors fulfill public responsibilities.

Misty Williamson’s Sad Story

Between 2012 and 2018, Armor Correctional Health Services operated at the Santa Rosa County Jail in Florida. During 2016, a tragic situation unfolded involving Misty Williamson, a 44 years old woman incarcerated there.

According to allegations, Williamson contracted pneumonia while under Armor Healthcare staff’s custody; unfortunately, due to delays, she wasn’t transferred quickly enough and her condition quickly worsened – turning what could have been treated into sepsis which ultimately resulted in sepsis shock and her subsequent death shortly thereafter.

A Florida jury awarded Williamson’s family $16 Million following an emotionally charged medical malpractice and wrongful death suit in his name. For many, Williamson’s case highlighted the tragic results of neglect within an already stressed system.

New York Errors

However, Armor was not alone in encountering difficulties across multiple states. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a suit in 2016 alleging failures to provide inmate healthcare at facilities in Nassau and Niagara Counties.

Between 2011 and 2016, 14 deaths occurred at these facilities, prompting investigations to reveal several lapses in care. Armor was accused of failing to complete proper assessments, mismanaging sick call procedures, denying critical medications and providing inadequate mental healthcare; it seems like an endless list of failings!

Armor eventually agreed to settle, agreeing to pay $350,000 and forgoing any new contracts in New York for three years as part of a settlement deal; nonetheless, significant damage had already been done to its reputation.

A Brewing Issue 

Unfortunately, these incidents are far from isolated. Since its founding in 2004, Armor has been subject to nearly 600 federal court lawsuits alleging similar issues:

• Delayed or Denied Treatment: Failing to act timely manner has often resulted in fatal outcomes. 

• Short Staffing: Critics allege the company prioritized profits over patient care by hiring less qualified staff members to save money.

• Dismissal or Overlooking of Serious Conditions: There have been reports of chronic illnesses or severe symptoms being disregarded or overlooked, even though they might need urgent medical care.

Consider Milwaukee. An individual incarcerated there died of a perforated ulcer, yet family and legal representatives claimed healthcare staff ignored severe pain complaints for days despite knowing about them – adding yet another troubling chapter to Armor’s troubled history.

Why It Matters

Correctional healthcare presents special challenges: prisons and jails often lack funds, staff, and capacity to address complex health needs more quickly; substance abuse, mental illness and chronic illnesses like diabetes are much more prevalent among inmate populations than among the general public.

Armor’s legal battles may seem endlessly contentious, yet they bring to light an underlying problem: providing adequate healthcare in these settings. When facilities prioritize budget over care for inmates and their families, their lives usually pay the price.

Dr. Warren Ferguson, an expert in correctional health, has noted how stigmatization of those incarcerated often results in lower standards of care; yet people incarcerated still deserve access to and compassionate treatment regardless of why or where they may be.

Learnings Learned the Hard Way

What lessons can we draw from the story of Misty Williamson, her lawsuit in New York, and numerous other Armor-related cases? At least two things:

First and foremost, oversight matters. From making sure contracts contain more stringent requirements to setting up third-party review systems must exist to hold companies to higher standards.

Second, communication must improve. Just as property easement disputes require dialogue among neighbors to avoid unnecessary litigation, good dialogue among correctional healthcare providers, jail staff, and oversight bodies could help avert tragedies.

Moving forward 

Armor has undoubtedly taken a hit as a provider of correctional healthcare, and more lawsuits only serve to reinforce concerns over private companies providing this crucial service. But as accountability debates rage on, those most at risk in our system must not be left forgotten.

At first glance, these cases can appear to be nothing more than lawsuits and settlements. But behind the legal jargon and payouts are real lives with real mistakes made and reminders that people, even when housed in correctional facilities, still deserve dignity and care. Perhaps the true lesson lies in knowing that some aspects, such as public health in prisons, don’t need a price tag at all.