SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS ARE CONSIDERED THE WORST OF THE WORSE. THEY'RE KEPT AT COALINGA STATE HOSPITAL. SOME OF THESE ABUSERS NOW CLAIM THEY'RE BEING ABUSED. BUT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS LEGIT OR A PLOY TO CHANGE STATE LAW.
(he grabbed me, threw my arm around my neck, grabbed me by the neck and drove down the hall. )
THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE COMING FROM PATIENTS AT COALINGA STATE HOSPITAL-IT'S A STATE OF THE ART FACILITY WHERE SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS ARE CIVI CONFINED.
UNLIKE A PRISON, A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE NO HOPE OF LEAVING THIS BARBED WIRE BEHIND.
LIKE A PRISON THOUGH, THE PATIENTS ARE CONSTANTLY MONITORED, PUNISHED IF THEY GET OUT OF LINE, AND ONLY RECEIVE MEDICAL CARE WHEN STAFF DEEM IT NECESSARY.
IN A RECENT CIVIL LAWSUIT FILED IN FRESNO COUNTY COURT, A PATIENT CLAIMS COALINGA STAFF ACTED NEGLIGENTLY AND FAILED TO PROVIDE HIM MEDICAL CARE, AFTER HE SAYS HE WAS ATTACKED WITHIN THESE WALLS.
ON JUNE 10, 2006, KIRK WAS ALLEGEDLY BEATEN TO THE POINT OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS BY TWO FELLOW PATIENTS.
THE SUIT SAYS STAFF MEMBERS FAILED TO TREAT HIS INJURIES AND GAVE HIM A SLEEPING PILL INSTEAD. ULTIMATELY KIRK'S RIGHT EYE SOCKET, CHEEKBONE AND JAW HAD TO BE REBUILT. HE SAYS WHILE RECOVERING, HE WAS NOT GIVEN FOOD FOR LONG STRETCHES OF TIME.
WITHIN THE LAST MONTH A GROUP OF PATIENTS STAGED A STRIKE-REFUSING TO TAKE PART IN TREATMENT AND OTHER ACTIVITIES UNTIL THEIR REQUESTS FOR GREATER PRIVILEGES AND CARE WERE MET.
ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE STRIKE, PATIENT MICHAEL SAINT MARTIN WHO WAS COMMITTED HERE AFTER SERVING A SENTENCE FOR MOLESTING A LITTLE GIRL. HE DESCRIBES ANOTHER PATIENT WHO HE SAYS WAS DENIED NECESSARY HEALTH CARE.
(for months we fought to get this gentleman medical treatment, just basic medical treatment to find out why he was spitting up blood. This gentleman got so bad to the point where he couldn't eat anymore. Finally after all the complaining, all the letter writing, they finally did a diagnosis and discovered he had throat cancer.)
KSEE 24 RECEIVED A LETTER FROM ANOTHER PATIENT WILLIAM LAUGHLIN, WHO CLAIMS HIS CANCER WENT UNTREATED FOR 15 MONTHS AT COALINGA STATE HOSPITAL.
AND JUST THIS PAST WEEK, A PATIENT REPORTEDLY DIED FROM A HEART ATTACK WHEN OTHER PATIENTS SAY MEDICAL CARE WAS DELAYED.
SAINT MARTIN SAYS A STAFF MEMBER WAS OVERHEARD SAYING SHE WASN'T ABOUT TO PUT HER MOUTH ON HIS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACKNOWLEDGES THE DEATH, AND SAYS IT'S BEING INVESTIGATED.
(this is bare minimum care that we should get.)
BUT IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THESE ALLEGATIONS, OR ARE THE PATIENTS SIMPLY FRUSTRATED THAT THEY CAN'T GET OUT.
(I can imagine if I had lost a significant freedom that I might do whatever it takes to get that freedom back.)
DOCTOR DEIRDRE D'ORAZIO HEADS THE TREATMENT PROGRAMS AT COALINGA. SHE SAYS STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS TO REMAIN CONFINED, IS THE SOURCE OF A LOT OF FRUSTRATION FOR SOME PATIENTS.
THEY HAVE TO UNDERGO A RIGOROUS FIVE STEP PROGRAM TO EVEN RECEIVE CONSIDERATION FROM THE COURT FOR RELEASE.
ONLY A HANDFUL ACTUALLY REACH THAT POINT.
THREE QUARTERS OF THE PATIENTS HERE, REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN TREATMENT, SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES THEM TO ADMIT TO THEIR CRIMES, AND SEEK HELP CONTROLLING SEXUALLY DEVIANT IMPULSES.
MICHAEL SAINT MARTIN IS ONE OF THE MAJORITY, WHO DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN TREATMENT. BUT WE MET ANOTHER MAN WHO DOES LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN HE MIGHT BE RETURNED TO SOCIETY.
(any type of treatment you need, you're going to get here.)
WILLIAM PRICE HAS BEEN AT COALINGA FOR ONE YEAR. THE 59-YEAR-OLD ADMITS TO MOLESTING 21 CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS THREE. HE SAYS THIS NEW HOSPITAL, WHICH OPENED TWO YEARS AGO, IS A GIFT FOR PEOPLE LIKE HIMSELF.
(the ones that bother me are the ones that think there's nothing wrong with them, and they don't need to get better, and I guess those people shouldn't be released because they're never going to engage in any type of treatment.)
SO DOES THIS MEAN PEOPLE LIKE SAINT MARTIN, KIRK AND OTHERS ARE LYING ABOUT ALLEGED NEGLECT AND ABUSE ?
ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO TRUST THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST, THE PATIENTS SAY THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS WHO STILL DESERVE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, AND IF INHUMANE TREATMENT IS HAPPENING HERE, THEY WANT TAXPAYERS TO SEE THAT 200-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IT COSTS FOR EACH PATIENT TO BE PLACED AT COALINGA, NEEDS TO BE PUT TO BETTER USE.