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*Saturday, October 31,1998State finds no corruption in prison systemffProbe into health conditions puts blame on employees for bad conditions, not institutionINDIANAPOLIS (AP)State their jobs right. Feldman said.officials acknowledged Friday that Changes in the inspection system werehealth inspectors performed slipshod made shortly after Feldman uxk overwork at the state’s oldest prison duringa controversial 19% inspection, butGov. Frank O'Bannon said he was relieved that a review found no corruption.“Prisons aren’t country clubs, but the state has a responsibility to ensure they have adequate health conditions,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Feldman said.Inspectors are getting better trainingand supervisors will make sure they dothe agency in January 1997. he said.“We did not wait for this report to come out to look at our prison survey system and take action,” Feldman said.A former health department inspector and whistle-blower, Phillip Gid-department does fix problems outlinedin the report, which state officials received about two weeks ago. The governor’s staff will monitor how the health department and Department of Correction deal with the findings, spokesman Phil Bremen said.Indianapolis attorney Forrest Bowman Jr., hired by the health department to conduct the review, said the 19% inspection did not reflect conditions atthe state prison.Bowman also cited a backlog of complaints and a process that failed to address inmate concerns. BowmanThe agency official who supervised prison inspections, Tom Iozzolt; resigned July 14. Some workers named in the report no longer work for the health department, Feldman said-Others were reassigned, retrained of removed from superv isory positions, able improvements.” Feldman refused to discuss individ-Most prison inspection duties were ual employees, citing confidentiality“I am gratified that the report found no corruption in the system, only regrettable individual shortcomings,” Feldman said in a statement released Friday. As part of the investigation. Bowman and state inspectors visitedthe state prison and found “consider-dens, questioned whether the changes are as sweeping as state officials say and whether they will be effective.O'Bannon pledged through a tors and staff inspectorstaken over by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, a private Chicago-based group, in May after a series of media reports alleged health department managers concealed prison abuses or violationsalso reported the health department reported by other agency officialconcerns. •But Giddins, a former state prisoninspector who now works forNCCHC, said some people involved in the 19% state prison inspection are still doing prison inspections andFeldman confirmeddid not adequately supervise contrac-Theyearsmanenough experience or training.ago.that. Giddins also said the person reviewing the inspectors' work is oneof the people conducting inspections.
Newspaper Details
Anderson Herald Bulletin
Anderson, Indiana, US
Sat, Oct 31, 1998
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Monroe C.
IN, USA 15 Dec 2020
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