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 Questionable
Treatment?
Before I make my point I want to start off by
saying that this post does not refer to everyone in Medical. We are
fortunate to have some of the medical professionals working with us at
the HOC. Over the years many Nurses have assisted Correction Officers
that needed medical attention, and have done so with extreme
professionalism. This post refers to a few, I think everyone can figure
out who they are (Nurses included).
Yesterday I was shocked to hear how an Officer was treated
the other night while experiencing a heart attack. How could anyone, a
"medical professional" at that, sit around and wait for an on call
Doctor for instructions when it's obvious that his condition was grave.
Thankfully, we have alert supervisors who know enough to activate EMS
without hesitation. Sgt. Napolitano should be commended for his actions.
There have been plenty of times during "man down" calls where
the SERT team and other security staff (Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants
and Officers) had to take the initiative and do the Nurses' jobs. I
would be shocked if I took my daughter to BMC and one of the security
guards there had to step in and start treatment because a Nurse had no
idea what to do. I'm not comparing us to hospital security guards
(luckily we have all received good training in medical situations)...but
you get my point.
I don't let too many things that happen at work bug me, but
this just made the top of the list. Has it come to the point where an
"Officer Down" call should be an automatic trip to BMC? Absolutely. I've
come to the conclusion that a few nurses that I've seen dealt with
wouldn't even be able to apply a Scooby Doo band aid the right way.
Brendan Walsh
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Frankly
Deputy Jacobs, Anything that concerns my members is my BUSINESS !!!
In
Solidarity,
Troy
Salvetti
Vice
President
Local 419
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"Scenario"
You and your partner are on SERT at approximately 11:00 AM in building 4
when a call is put out over the radio "Fight in the building 3 education
area, multiple inmate!" You and your partner respond to assist other
SERT arriving on scene. As you make your way into the area, not knowing
what direction the disturbance is occurring, you swiftly turn left and
then right as you observe the situation unfolding in this direction. You
make a dash to the scene only to lose your footing on the floor at which
time you feel a great deal of pain in your left ankle and foot region.
You then regain control and proceed to the violent event and assist by
subduing one combatant by handcuffing the inmate and subsequently going
to the segregation unit with the subject. You realize shortly upon
placing the inmate in the segregation. unit that you can no longer walk
properly due to your ankle being injured during your response as
indicated earlier. You report your injury immediately verbally and
written to your supervisor and your partner assist you to the infirmary
to be evaluated. The infirmary staff insists that you go to the hospital
for further evaluation due to the obvious pain, swelling and bruising to
your ankle at which time you agree. You receive a ride to a local
hospital via cruiser who indicates that your injury was serious enough
that you need to consult an Orthopedic doctor. You leave the hospital
with pain medication and crutches (that you need) and a 7 day note to
remain out of work and to contact the Ortho to follow up with. You
follow the directions and ultimately see the Ortho MD who indicates that
you have damaged ligaments and that you will need several months of
being out of work and intense therapy to regain strength and to heal the
injury. You then file all of the proper paperwork to all of the
departments that is required of you and your recovery begins.
"Question":
A) Is your injury just another "slip and fall" accident therefore you
should only get 60% of your wages?
OR:
B) Is this a clear cut case of chapter 800 therefore entitling you to
100% of your pay?
If your answer was A......then you need to reconsider what type of job
you want to do or get with the program and realize that chapter 800 was
put in place for incidents like this.
If your answer was B..... then why is it that...depending who your
are...you have to wait for the so called "800" committee to meet and
determine if they want to approve the benefit or deny you the benefits
of this chapter. And depending on if any of the committee members are on
vacation or not will indicate if they will have the meeting that month.
Meanwhile, you sit at home with the injury and pain you received " IN
THE LINE OF DUTY " and wonder if this department will compensate you
properly without prejudice but you find out that you fall victim to the
practices of those who are deliberately causing financial and emotional
harm to you and not even giving it a second thought. After being out for
a month or two, you start becoming financially challenged and falling
more and more behind on bills, mortgage oh yeah, and even your weekly
deductions i.e. medical insurance, credit union loans and so on. This
only causes you to be forced back to work prematurely and put at risk
your injury and others you work with.
These negligent practices of the administration should not go
unrecognized for this could be you in this situation at any time or any
moment from the time you step into the sally port to the time you step
out at the end of your shift. I am truly afraid of the possibility that
I may get injured on the job by a violent encounter and have to be out
of work and not be compensated properly (chapter 800). This is not a way
you should have to feel coming to work and having to worry that if you
do your job....you are going to be penalized for doing so.
If this scenario outrages you....then let it be known...because I am a
real live victim in this scenario and I am living with the financial and
emotional stress and pain that my employer has cast upon me and my whole
family (and other officers) for just doing my assigned job. I feel that
someone should lose their job over the negligent treatment explained
within this story. Think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deputy Robert Call
House of Correction My
Opinion
Rob I was happy to have training with you this past week, I enjoyed the
great group of guys you have from the H.O.C. You had mentioned the
letter on the website so tonight I read it. The whole situation is a
disgrace and I hope is rectified soon. I to am also owed money for
chapter 800 pay and I know the burden that lack of funds can have on
your family. As I read about your situation I was reminded of how brave
you and my brothers and sister officers are. When most men would run
away from a fight between dangerous prisoners you ran toward the danger,
not knowing what lied ahead. Clearly your case "is chapter 800" not only
was it inmate violence but multiple inmates were involved. I could tell
by the way your fellow employees treated you this past week you are a
respected and a loyal friend. To finish escorting a prisoner to Seg.
even after having ligament damage shows your loyalty to the safety of
your co workers and even the prison were you work. I am a 16 yr veteran
and would be proud!
d and comfortable working SERT with you, some guys you just know have
your back although I can't change your situation i think its worth
saying good job and I am sure as soon as your leg heals you'll be right
back in the mix of things.
Cpl. Justin O'Shea
Nashua St. Jail
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I
CONGRATULATE ALL THOSE WHO TOOK PART IN THE CONTRACT VOTE. I AM SORRY, I
WASN'T THERE TO MAKE IT 312 VOTES. BUT I HAVE BEEN SIDE-LINED FOR A WHILE. I
WILL BE THERE WHEN NEEDED. MY PRIDE IN THE BODY IS SOMETHING, YOU ALL WILL
UNDERSTAND. THIS ADMINISTRATION, THINKS YOU ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS, YOU HAVE
PROVEN THEM ALL WRONG. THEIR INTELLECT IS NOT SUPERIOR TO THE INDIVIDUAL
PROFESSIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICER. YOU AS BODY HAVE PROVEN THAT, THEY KNOW
NOTHING ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF PEOPLE WHO STICK TOGETHER. THIS ADMINISTRATION
IS A UNION BUSTER, WE MUST STICK TOGETHER, AND WE WILL.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
C.O. MICHAEL J. DOHERTY #514
P.S. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
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To:
Sheriff Andrea Cabral
From: Officer Matthew W. Lyden
Date: February 17th, 2005
Re: Incident of Assault on an Officer
Dear Sheriff Cabral,
My name is Matthew Lyden and I am an officer at the South Bay House of
Correction. I have been employed with the Sheriff's Department since September
of 1998. I am writing this letter to inform you of the inappropriate handling
of a situation by your Sheriff's Investigation Division.
On August 20th, 2004 I was working in the 1-3-1 Unit. During the course of my
shift I became the victim of an assault as well as a threat on my life by an
Inmate housed in the 1-3-1 Unit at the time, both assaulted me and then
proceeded to threaten my life.
Since this happened almost 6 months ago and I have not been informed by any
employee of the Sheriff's Department of any progress in the case, I contacted a
member of SID on January 28th, 2005. Because assaulting an officer is a crime,
I asked SID when charges would be brought against the aforementioned inmate, and
what those charges would be. Instead of answering my question, the member of
SID proceeded to state that he was the one who served me a Disciplinary Hearing
Notice back in August of 2004 (relating to a completely separate situation) and
that they had no intention of bringing up any charges on the inmate . The
reason he gave me for this decision was that I am currently out of work on
Workers Compensation and that "we don't like to bother YOU people". Please be
aware that I am out on Worker's Compensation as a direct result of this
assault! He went on to say that his department assumed that because I'm out on
Workers Compensation I "wouldn't want to be bothered to testify in court".
Clearly, this reasoning is not only irrational, but also unethical. I am the
victim of an assault and threat and it is my right to have charges brought
against the perpetrator of these crimes. Despite my medical condition causing
me to be out on Worker's Compensation, I would make every effort to ensure that
my assailant is dealt with properly by the courts. During my conversation with
SID I stated that a disciplinary hearing notice is completely irrelevant to how
this unconnected situation should be dealt with. I informed him that as a
victim I have rights, and that I would be contacting the U.S. Federal Attorney
Office. SID's reply was "do what you gotta do".
On January 28th I contacted US Attorney Michael Sullivan's Office and explained
the situation as it has unfolded thus far. They were shocked to learn that your
Investigation Team has wrongly determined not to press charges on the inmate .
At the suggestion of the U.S. Attorney office, I contacted the Suffolk County
District Attorney's Office and spoke with a representative who was also
surprised that nothing has been done in this case. I was again advised to
contact another organization, thus I called the Sheriff's Investigation
Department. They confirmed that they continue to have no plans of pressing any
charges because of the fact that I am "awaiting a disciplinary hearing with a
separate matter".
Fortunately for me, both the Attorney Office as well friends and family
currently employed with the Boston Police Department, advised me to file a
complaint with the proper authorities in the C-6 District Police Station. Since
it is clear that the SID. has no intention of even attempting to see that
justice is served in this manner or that their own employees are defended, I
felt I had no other option than to file a report against the inmate . You will
find a copy of the January 31st report attached. I was aided by a Sergeant
Detective in District C-6, who assured me that he will be taking the proper
actions and charging the inmate with assault on a Correction Officer and will be
forwarding the complaint to the Roxbury District Court.
As a correction officer with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, my
personal safety is at risk on a daily basis. Whatever the situation is in other
unrelated manners, it does not make me less worthy of having justice in this
manner. In the case with inmate XXXXX, I am a victim and the only
ethical handling of this would be to have charges brought against him for his
crimes. As a public servant I trust that the handling of this situation will be
dealt with in a timely and just way.
I have taken the time to write you this letter because as the head of the
department I feel you should be aware of the incompetent and immoral behavior in
this situation. Should you have any questions or need clarifications regarding
this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time and I hope this matter will be resolved in the
appropriate manner.
Very Truly Yours,
Matthew W. Lyden
cc: Suffolk County DA's Office
Special Sheriff Gerard Horgan
Local 419 Union President Simpson
District C-6 Sergeant Detective
Attorney Daniel O'Malley
Attorney John McDonald |
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419 MEMBERS. WE ALL NEED TO STICK TOGETHER THIS NEW YEAR WHEN THE UNION GOES
BACK TO THE TABLE FOR AN OVERDUE PAY RAISE. BY SIGHNING A CONTRACT WITH NO
PAY RAISE WE HAVE SAVED THIS DEPT. TONS OF CASH WHILE THESE HACKS HAVE LIED
TO US ABOUT HAVING NO MONEY TO GIVE THE REAL PEOPLE WHO RUN THIS PLACE. THE
DEPT. HAS GIVIN ALL OF THE HACKS RAISES BUT NOTHING FOR US. WE CONTINUE TO
BE TREATED LIKE INMATES. WE GET HEAT ABOUT DRINKING COFFEE,TAKING BACK FOOD
TO OUR POSTS, AND READING NEWSPAPERS. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG BUT, EVERY
DRUG DEALER, RAPIST, AND GANG MEMBER CAN HAVE THESE SIMPLE THINGS IN SOUTH
BAY. I KNOW WE HAVE THE RIGHT PRESIDENT TO LEAD US THIS NEW YEAR TO A PAY
RAISE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A BETTER YEAR FOR ALL OF LOCAL 419 MEMBERS.
FRED OPANASETS
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Hope you all had a great time at the kids X-mas party. I know
my family and I did. It was a pleasure to have been able to provide all of
you the with the music and M.C.ing. I would like to thank all of our union
folks who participated and made the party such a successful one.
Happy Holidays to you and yours from the Call family!
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I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the
President of the United States George W. Bush. I am listed
as an Independent and voted for President Bush because he
took a stand against terrorism, specifically "Islamic
terrorism", and the sanctity of marriage. You see, in
Massachusetts, AKA Misfit Island, it's a state of
confusion. You don't get an opportunity to vote on certain
issues because the politicians that we elect use the
platform for their own agenda. Democrats and some
Republicans in this state just don't get it. They fail to
realize that they are in office to represent the people and
their personal opinions on certain issues don't matter. The
people of their district decide the outcome. I would also
like to thank The Three Musketeers, oh excuse me, the
Massachusetts Supreme Court justices for also voting for
President Bush. The rest of this great country got it right
when they voted for President Bush. They looked at
Massachusetts and said, "Are you kidding me? That state
government is out of control. Somebody better stop the
bleeding; it's becoming a dysfunctional family." I keep
hearing how the Democrats are for the working class people
"bull shit". I've worked as a Correctional Officer for the
Suffolk County Sheriffs Department for 13 years and have yet
to receive a decent pay raise. The cost of living continues
to rise and, like my brothers and sisters of Local 419, I
must work two jobs just to make ends meet. I get propaganda
from AFSCME about President Bush, but what the hell have
they done for myself and fellow officers at the Sheriffs
Dept. I'll give you the math....zero, zero and zero pay
raise, while they vote themselves pay raises and stuff their
pockets with all the trimmings. John Kerry is a great
American; hey, Ted Kennedy is too. But let's call it like
it is: these guys aren't starving. This all came to a
boiling point when I went into the voting booth at 7:55 p.m.
on Nov. 2nd, 2004. Like main stream America, I voted for
President Bush because he is bringing the fight to the
terrorists. He is a good family man and he has morals,
something this country needs to get back to. Democrats in
this state better wake up because there are millions of
American voters in this country that feel the same way I
do. You just saw it in the election. So learn from your
mistakes, and maybe things will change for your party. You
are not what you say you are for: the working class people.
Prove me wrong, AFSCME. Get the officers of South Bay a
decent pay raise which is long overdue. And please don't
tell me you can't get involved in local politics, because I
saw all the Democrats and Republicans get involved when the
DNC came to Boston, and the Boston Police and the Boston
Fire Department were looking for a new contract. Remember
the slogan, Democrats are for the "working Class".
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8/31/03
To the Editor,
With the recent media frenzy about pedophile John Geoghan, (oh, excuse me)…
Father Geoghan. I am amazed at all of you Monday morning quarterbacks, rose
colored glass-wearing liberals and ambulance chasers (oh, excuse me)… news
reporters. You people have all the answers. How could this happen in a
protective custody unit? Why don't all of you take a look at the main
problem in the Massachusetts prison system. It's called staffing levels. I
ask you scholars what is the ratio of guards to inmates? I ask all of you
pencil pushers, (oh excuse me)… news reporters, to walk in a correction
officer's shoes for one day. You deal with the complaints, the assaults on
yourself, fecal matter and urine thrown at you and other officers, inmate
fights, HIV, AIDS and other communicable diseases. You know what? Don't bother!
You couldn't handle it! It's groups like MCLS and the ACLU that would allow
terrorist groups such as Alqaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah to set
up shop in our own backyard. Stay behind your nice cozy desks and criticize
the officers that watch over the pedophiles, murderers, rapists, thieves, sexual offenders
24-7. They do an outstanding job.
The writer of this letter is a Northeastern University graduate in Criminal
Justice and oh, a "prison guard."
Sincerely,
Mike Gannon
20 Bradston St. |
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