Pauline Rogers calls Mississippi prison conditions “a clear violation of basic human rights”

“Inmates at a Mississippi prison were forced to mix raw cleaning chemicals without protective equipment, with one alleging she later contracted terminal cancer and was denied timely medical care, a federal lawsuit filed [February 14] alleges. …

These are human beings that deserve a second chance in life.

“The companies contracted to provide health care to prisoners at the facility — Wexford Health Sources, Centurion Health and VitalCore — delayed or failed to schedule follow-up cancer screenings for [Susan] Balfour even though they had been recommended by prison physicians, the lawsuit says.

“All three companies did not immediately respond to email and phone messages seeking comment. A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Corrections said the agency would not comment on active litigation.

“The lawsuit, which seeks compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at a trial, says at least 15 other unidentified people incarcerated at the prison have cancer and are not receiving life-saving care. …

“Pauline Rogers [Leading with Conviction™ 2023], Co-Founder of the Rech Foundation, an organization that assists formerly incarcerated people, called the alleged prison cleaning protocols ‘a clear violation of basic human rights.’

“‘These are human beings that deserve a second chance in life,’ Rogers said. ‘Instead, these companies are withholding care to make a profit off the women they’re leaving to get sick and die.’”

Read the full story at APnews.com.