"[Prisoner] has been examined a number of times by a Dr. Starrett, a physician at the prison, relating to an irregular heart beat. ... The doctor did an EKG which confirmed [the condition], but was unable to give a cause for that condition. [She] took [the prisoner] off Motrin and an antidepressant medication, but did not provide him with any medications for the irregular heart beat. As I understand it, there is no plan to take additional steps such as inserting a pacemaker to stabilize the heartbeat. This seems to be a life threatening situation which should be carefully diagnosed and treated."

AT, Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey

"[ln August of 1997 at Bayside State Prison] I was brutally beaten by correction officers. ... I received numerous bruises and cuts to my head, face, back, groin, wrists and legs. My mouth, nose, head and wrists were busted and bleeding. I was also knocked unconscious. ... [ln the infirmary] all [the nurse] did was clean my bruises." The prisoner included several of his prison medical reports. "As you can see they failed to give me medication [for the pain]. They failed to give me X-rays. ... [In December of 1998] I [saw] a Dr. Odunsi for my back and neck problems. The Doctor's prescription was for me to receive physical therapy because the medication I [had] been receiving for a year and a half ... [was] not working. ... [Since then] the doctors tell me that they will put me on the list, but I never received it. ... It's been over two years now [in August 1999] and I just now saw the therapist. All [he] did was give me some papers showing me how to do some exercises and then [he] scheduled me for a two month return date."

RAc, Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey

"They deprive me of my medication which is life and death. I take [medications] plus I get [a] blood check every day. The nurse hasn't had the machine for two weeks now, [one of my medications] I was without [for] five days. ... The medication I take is life and death. ... When I spoke with Dr. Odunsi about these problems he told me 'he would be stepping on the Administration's toes.'"

CF, Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey

"I am in Northern State Prison. ... I am a diabetic [and] am insulin dependent. [In November of 1998] I passed out in my room. The nurse came to my room to give me my medicine and the same problem happened again - I almost passed out. I told the nurse and he told me to eat something sweet. I told him I didn't have any sweets so my roommate gave me some juice. The nurse did not give me my insulin. About two hours later they took me to the hospital. ... I asked ... if the nurse had told them what happened and they said he did not report it."

TC, Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey

"My problems started [in August 1997] when I was moved into a cell that had no working cell light There is a built in night light ... that comes on when the officers take their 1O pm count. ... [Late in September] when the night light was on so the guard could take the count, I was exiting my top bunk when the light went off ... I was taken off balance and missed the stool [and] twisted my ankle and fell hip first into the top edge of a foot locker. It was after 10 pm [so] l knew getting a guard's attention was [hopeless]. ... I waited for morning. ...The housing officer sent me to the prison infirmary [where] I sat in front of the nurses' station for over an hour and a half without being seen. I was finally told to report back to my unit for count. [At the end of September] an officer asked me why I was still limping. [When I explained] he called up the [infirmary] ... so that my hip could be looked at. ... [After] 45 minutes [waiting] a male nurse gave me a Motrin and told me he'd put me on the doctor's list.

"I wrote to [Superintendent of Northern State Prison, James] Barbo, and the Medical Department. ... No response. [At the end of October] I wrote to Mary Ellen Simellins, CMS [Correctional Medical Service] site administrator of NSP. [In November] I wrote again. I [then] saw a Dr. Odunsi who ordered X rays. [At the beginning of December] X-rays rescheduled (December 19, 1997 X-rays were taken - no broken bones.) [During February and March prisoner wrote various letters to doctors and to the medical examiners complaining of the continuing pain (in spite of medication) in his hip but was not seen In March]. I filed letters of intent to file a lawsuit against the CMS. ... [At the end of May] I was supposed to go to St. Francis hospital to see nerve specialist but Central Transport officer refused to take me. [ln August] I was on authorized absence to go to the hospital but was never called out.

"After writing [over and over] to Barbo [and] Simellins ... I just gave up. I buy Motrin from other inmates and buy aspirins at the canteen. The pain in my hip is an aggravating annoyance and I ... Iimp. ... Climbing stairs is a real pain. ... [In August of 1999] I was seen by Dr Starrett ... who told me my medical records were lost and were found after all this time only because the attorneys for Mary Ellen Simellins wanted an update. X-rays were again taken of my left hip I explained to the technician that an MRI should be ordered because the pain in my hip is at times severe and limits my mobility ..."

WV, Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey

~My mother has kidney problems and I wanted to get tested to see if I'm a match 'cause the rest of my family members are not. I wrote the prison administrator, Mr. James Barbo, [in May 1988] and didn't hear from him so I then wrote health services unit in Trenton ... and [they] tell me [they] wrote Mr. Barbo telling him the steps that had to be taken. ... I never heard anything. I wrote Mr. Barbo and Ms. Ricci here at the prison. Now [in November of 1998] ... my sister called that someone in the family is very sick and ... I come to find out that my mother is on her death bed. ... My mother is dying and I'm going to have to live with this thought that maybe I was a match to my mother and could have given her life as she gave me ... I'm going crazy in here and these people refuse to give me any kind of help or legal calls ... on this."