Prisoners say dirty conditions caused maladies
By Joe Nixon
The Morning Call
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Pa. — Nine current or former Northampton County Prison inmates have now sued the county, its outside health-care contractor and others in federal court, alleging they contracted MRSA infections because of unsanitary conditions in the Easton lockup.
The two most recent lawsuits were filed last Wednesday by Doylestown attorney Jordan B. Yeager on behalf of Bradley T. Gilbert and Ediberto Jiminez. Yeager also filed the previous seven suits, dating to late August, and said this week that a total of 25-30 suits could eventually be filed.
All suits so far name the county and PrimeCare Medical Inc. of Harrisburg as defendants. In addition, Corrections Director Todd Buskirk is named as a defendant.
All the suits allege that numerous conditions at the prison, including water leaks and dirty shower areas, contributed to the spread of the bacterial infection formally known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. The suits also charge that recommended MRSA prevention and treatment protocols were not followed.
According to PrimeCare’s Web site, the company manages health-care service contracts in 52 correctional facilities in four states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire and West Virginia. Todd Haskins, vice president of operations for the company, did not return calls for comment Monday or Tuesday.
County solicitor Karl Longenbach said Monday the county does not comment on pending litigation. The county’s outside counsel in the suits, attorney David J. MacMain of Philadelphia, did not return a call on Tuesday.
Jiminez, a current inmate, alleges he twice contracted MRSA at the prison in 2006 and says he has had vision trouble since he had MRSA under his left eye. Gilbert, also a current inmate, alleges in his suit he contracted an infection in 2006, as well as a scabies rash.
Suits were filed in late January by Maurice W. Bradley, whose address was listed on his complaint as the Allentown Community Corrections Center; Randall J. Guinta, of Victory House, Bethlehem; and Dennis W. Holland, of Lackawanna County Prison in Scranton. All alleged they contracted MRSA infections in 2006.
Former inmates Frank M. Miller and Patrick R. Mohr filed suits in October. Miller, whose listed address at the time was the Allentown Community Corrections Center, alleged he contracted MRSA in 2005 and 2006. Mohr, who listed a S. Idaho Street, Allentown address when his suit was filed, claimed infections in 2005. Former inmate Kendall L. Kinchen of W. Grant Street, Easton, in his suit filed in early September, also claimed he was infected at the jail in 2005.
The first of the suits filed by Yeager alleged former inmate Gerald R. Schaffer Jr. of Hellertown was infected by MRSA in 2005.
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