Comments on: Transgender inmate denied electrolysis

By: Drewski

Drewski — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:15:01 +0000

@Trace–it’s an issue because it was Judge Wolf himself who left the question open. The judge found that Kosilek was entitled to treatment for gender identity disorder. If you’re doing life, that would tend to suggest that the Mass. prison system will foot the bill. This is a legitimate medical condition. In Ohio, I don’t know if we’ve had such a case, but I do know that past failures of the prison medical system led to lawsuits, and one lawsuit in particular led to a consent decree which stipulates standards of care. Many inmates will receive better medical care in prison than they have any hope of seeing after release. Nobody has to like it; it exists as a direct result of poor prior actions. Remember that prison inmates are in state custody; the state HAS to provide access to care. If the judge saw fit to find that Kosilek had a right to access to care, then at least one other Federal case (and this is being heard in Federal court) would say that if the patient is in state custody, then the state must pay medical costs. Yes, it may seem unfair that a prison inmate could get what a regular person can’t, but that’s a consequence of locking people up. The state takes away liberty, the state is stuck as a de facto parent.

By: Leeanne Menses Henry

Leeanne Menses Henry — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:56:58 +0000

If you murder someone and get caught are you supposed to lose your rights? It’s not like this individual is being denied medication that is intricate for their survival.
Are they going to bus women into prison for OJ to murder them so he can keep that hobby up?

By: Julie-Anne Driver

Julie-Anne Driver — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:03:56 +0000

I agree that she did was wrong. However, two wrongs don’t make a right.

Chances are she’ll never get SRS; the U.S. has quite a long way to go before those who can’t afford SRS will be able to get it anyway, like in some provinces in Canada and many countries in Europe.

In my opinion, that simple truth is punishment enough.

By: citizenzero

citizenzero — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:24:01 +0000

I read through this story in hopes that we wouldn’t be suckered into a debate like this… I’m glad that the above 2 readers are intelligent enough to know that someone in jail for someone who was convicted of killing their spouse shouldn’t receive the luxuries they desire. I’m certain that his deceased wife would’ve preferred not to have been killed, but Kosilek didn’t care then.

Tough luck.

http://www.citizenzero.us

By: Trace Eggers

Trace Eggers — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:28:54 +0000

I can’t believe this is even a real issue?

This person is serving a life sentence for taking another persons life. As I see it, we’re generous to give them three hots and a cot.

By: ALAN

ALAN — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:48:25 +0000

The federal or state or even local governments SHOULDN’T pay for gender re-assignment surgery. This is a big watse of our money. They are in jail to be punished and not to be given “gifts” to complete their lives. What about the other prisoners that don’t get this kind of surgery but because of the lack of money doesn’t get other things to make them a little more comfortable. Like better health care.