Question about jail medical staff

[Dukeboy01]

Just curious, but at what Blood Alcohol Content does your jail refuse to accept a prisoner? My county jail will refuse them if they are at a .40 or above. Is this above normal or lower than other places?

Our jail medical staff used to refuse people for just about any medical reason they could find. We have a new detention center with better medical facilities, but they still have threatened to refuse some of my prisoners for what I feel are stupid reasons. For example, last week I brought in a DUI who claimed that he suffered from advanced testicular cancer. Tragic and all, but refusing him and making me take him to the hospital that night wouldn't have solved his problem. The nurse initially wanted to refuse him for this problem, but a second opinion was obtained and he stayed. What policies do your jails follow in regards to prisoners with terminal conditions?

[JKT]

In our facility, we will accept someone who is extremely drunk as long as they are concious. (I know, it sounds silly). If someone is that drunk (unconcious) they need to be in a hospital. The ones we do accept, are carefully monitored to make sure they don't fall asleep on their back. If they do, they are waked up and/or turned on their side. We have had one or two that passed out on their backs and aspirated their own vomit and essentially drowned. Of course, anyone who is bleeding or has broken bones goes to the hospital first and is medically cleared before we will accept them. I don't think we have an actual BAC requirement.

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Optimistic pessimist: Hope for the best, but expect the worst.

Jack

[tcsd1236]

In our facility, if the defendant appears extremely intoxicated, the staff will request a Pre-Incarceration Physicel be done. This is simply a visit to the hospital to have the staff look over the toad and verify that he wont be at risk if incarcerated.
I don't believe there is a specific BAC indicated in policy, although uts been years since I worked Corrections; the policy may have changed.

[Rita]

Our facility cuts them off at .30. I dont know where that number came from or how it was dedided upon. As far as the guy with cancer, it is up to the supervisor on duty in a case like that if they want a medical clearance done or not (after talking to the person). If he had medicine with him we would accept it and let our nurse look over it before it was given to him. Anyone involved in a accident, any pregnant female who has had prior problems with pregnancies and any one complaining of any type of a problem that we cant deal with (after hours) goes for a medical clearance.

[Tackleberry]

Our jail will just about except anyone! Our policy is not to accept a prisoner if they are visually injured or seriously injured w/o paperwork from the hospital that treated and released them. We ran into a situation several weeks ago when our local PD brought a guy in that got the daylights beat out of him by them. Our booking Sgt. quickly had our medical dept. take a look at him who told the Sgt. to refuse taking him unless they had him treated and the proper paperwork. After telling the officers this they had to contact their Sgt. who then called the DJ. who flipped out. He called the prison and said to our Lt. once I accept him and stamp the warrant to committ then YOU MUST TAKE HIM! Our Lt. said that this was contrary to the Wardens directives and prison policy to accept a prisoner in this condition. The DJ said you either accept him our I'll send a car to your Warden's house and then over to you and charge you both with obstruction. Needless to say we then took him and then had to transport him for medical treatment immediately. So we now take all prisoners that have been directed by our County DJ's. The DJ further explained that once he stamps the warrant to committ he is now our property and not the police's.


Tac