FIXING THE THRESHOLDS

Tired of complaints about cold air seeping under our doors, I ripped out the thresholds and replaced the rubberized centers to block the incoming breeze. I had promised that I’d fix them last fall, but never really got around to it, my latest excuse: “It’s too cold to keep the doors open for any length of time.” So, is it better to tolerate a minimum amount of cold air over a long duration, or is it better to tolerate a maximum amount of cold air for a shorter, determinate amount of time? Let’s just say that I can check this duty off my “honey-do” list.

Speaking of promises, my wife coaxed me into going out for dinner last Sunday, but, before I would agree, she had to set-up the VCR to tape “60 Minutes.” They were running a segment on the unnecessary death of Timothy Souders, a prisoner in the Michigan Department of Corrections. I, along with my coworkers, was curious to see the media’s portrayal of our prison system. At the restaurant, I ran into a nurse that works at my facility. We exchanged pleasantries, excluding introductions to significant others and so on. Neither of us mentioned what we were missing on television.

Later that night, my brother called. He said the MDOC Director, Pat Caruso, did not represent us well, that she had smiled when confronted about unnecessary deaths inside our prisons. The “60 Minutes” producers ran the following caption, which had been printed in the newspapers as well: “… unauthorized death penalty at the hands of a callous and dysfunctional health care system that regularly fails to treat life-threatening illness.”

The Delay: When I went to watch the tape, I got an episode of “Lost.” My wife quickly apologized by saying she may have forgotten to switch tapes. Later on, I learned that she had set my tape aside. Yesterday, I watched it.

Facts: Timothy Souders died of dehydration. The water to his cell was turned off due to him flooding the area. He refused water from the corrections officers. He wore “Top of Bed” restraints for sixteen or seventeen hours straight due to his unpredictable behavior. Custody videotaped him at regular intervals in his cell.

Facts: At the time of Timothy Souders death, he was not wearing restraints. He simply collapsed onto the floor, in an extremely hot cell, never to breathe again. A prison nurse failed to recognize the inmate’s condition as critical and was subsequently fired.

Observation: The MDOC Director, Pat Caruso, defended our custody staff, and her so-called “smile” was more of an invitation to keep the lines of communication open between her and the interviewer.

Questions: Why did the family of Timothy Souders learn the true cause of his death from the Detroit Free Press? Why did the MDOC stall for so long in reporting the cause of his death?