1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Prison Affliction: Medical care inside California's state prisons by Julie Small, Mike Roe, Sharon McNary, Jason Georges, Nick Roman, Paul Glickman, Jason Kandel
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Aug. 23-27, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This investigation found that while the overall number of deaths of inmates in California state prisons decreased, the number of inmates whose deaths might have been prevented with better care actually increased. It also found that independent reviews of medical facilities conducted by California's inspector general for prisons revealed that California's prisons routinely violated medical policies and protocols, leading to delays and denials of treatment for inmates. Also, California officials' repeated refusal to fund the receiver's turnaround plan delayed construction of sanitary medical facilities, computerization of health records and hiring independent executives to oversee medical care at prisons. The report also found that the lack of infrastructure improvements and systemic change contributed to lapses in care for inmates that range from dangerous to deadly.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
KPCC used the following documents: Federal Receiver's California Prison Health Care Services report, California's Office of the Inspector General for Prisons' Medical inspection results, the website of the Prison Law Office, Don Spector's law journal article on California_s prisons, "Everything Revolves Around Overcrowding: The State of California's Prisons," U.S. District Court of Northern California – Plata v. Schwarzenegger court documents, Legislative Analyst Office's "Overview of Adult Correctional Health Care Spending," California Correctional Medicine Consultation Network, Correctional Medicine Consultation Network: "Prison 911: Avenal." KPCC requested records on the inmate death analysis reports conducted by a death review committee, filed with the Federal Receiver's office under California's Public Records Act. The request was denied. Even basic information such as number of deaths at each institution was denied. KPCC tried to get the records from attorneys for inmates at the Prison Law Office but they said they could not divulge the information. Ultimately, the attorneys gave the reporter's contact information to inmates who'd suffered near death experiences from shoddy medical care. One of them, William Furr, contacted KPCC by phone. Because of California's prison media access laws, KPCC was only able to record him over the phone. KPCC searched for inmate death records at county coroner offices, but discovered that without the names of inmates KPCC could not review those records. KPCC also searched for court cases where inmates alleged they'd suffered from the prison system's lack of medical care. KPCC found Frank Lucero this way.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
KPCC interviewed state officials, prison medical experts, prison volunteers, inmates and their families, corrections officials and medical staff.
6. Results (if any).
N/A
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No one has challenged the report. KPCC received anonymous comments from individuals who claim to work in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. One doctor reported that inmates are getting elective surgeries at his facility.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
It's easy to get the official line. It's much harder to get an inmate's perspective. Try working through family councils and prisoners-rights groups who often document medical lapses and other problems in the prisons. Look for non-profit organizations that can assist with records requests. Join Investigative Reporters and Editors and check out the group's tip sheets. Ask other reporters who cover prisons for help. They can tell you where to look and what information you can get/what's not accessible. Prisons are a special beat because so little of what goes on in them is subject to public scrutiny. In California, it's worse than other states because of changes to laws that restrict media from asking to interview