What are an inmate’s rights to proper medical treatment?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What are an inmate’s rights to proper medical treatment?
I visited a friend this morning in jail. She dislocated her shoulder from a seizure last Monday; nurse saw her briefly the next day but could for her because she did not have an appointment. She is being made to wait until this Tuesday (over 1 week later). They gave her ibuprofen but are they obligated to do more than that?
Asked on July 24, 2011 Arkansas
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Prisoners rights have been debated heavily over the years and have been the source of many a lawsuit. Prisoners have rights while they are confined. Some of them are limited. As for the right to medical treatment it has been ruled that prisoners have the right to "adequate" medical treatment under the law. If they are refused or denied adequate medical treatment then it is considered a violation of their Eighth Amendment rights - a prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. It sounds like waiting so long for treatment is pushing it here. I might contact her attorney that represented her and see if he or she can help. Good luck to her.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.