Dialysis in Jail?

[beachbum]

This is sort of random but I was just curious if anyone here ever got into trouble with the law while on dialysis. I'm not talking about murder or anything serious lol just your average run-in with the law. Pretty much anything can get you thrown in jail these days, even when you think you're obeying the law. For example, when I was 19 years old I forgot to return a video tape and the cops put out a warrant for my arrest. I had no idea and got pulled over and had to spend a weekend in jail over $20 video rental.

A few years ago I was arrested for something minor. It's not worth getting into but it was a he said/she said thing. I went to araignment and they said my next court date was 4 months away! I was going to have to sit in jail for months and I was only looking at probation. The next day my blood pressure soared, probably from the stress and the jail nurse drew my blood. My kidney function was off but at that time it always was. They sent me to the hospital. After a day there the police came and brought me my clothes and said the jail was releasing me because it cost them too much to hold me.

So I was just curious if most jails would hold someone on dialysis over something minor? Between my meds, my diet, and the dialysis, it seems like most jails wouldn't want someone like me. Now I know if it was murder or a felony all bets are off but am I safe from being jailed for something petty? I had a cop threaten to arrest me the other day for interfering because my friend was getting arrested for not paying child support and I was just trying to figure out what was going on.

[looneytunes]

While you make a valid point as to the costs involved in jailing a dialysis patient, I sure wouldn't want to find out for myself!   

[Whamo]

The police bring prisoners to my dialysis center once in awhile.  They stand by as the prisoner gets drained. 

[jeannea]

Yeah I wouldn't want to find out. Maybe make a little effort to not get arrested?

[thegrammalady]

we have had people from the county jail. they come in leg irons and a deputy sits and stares at them for 4 hours. like they could get up and run away. a doctor in my neph's office used to work in the colorado prison system as a dialysis dr. the prison system does it in house. i'm not sure what the general practice is though.

[lmunchkin]

While you make a valid point as to the costs involved in jailing a dialysis patient, I sure wouldn't want to find out for myself!   

Yeah I wouldn't want to find out. Maybe make a little effort to not get arrested?

Just don't warrant it!  That's what Iam saying too!

lmunchkin
 

[beachbum]

No. I have no intentions of finding out. I was just curious what would happen. It got me thinking. Life on dialysis is tough enough. I wouldn't want to add jail into the mix.

[jbeany]

Serious and violent crimes get the handcuffed transport.  Anything minor gets house arrest.  One of my fellow patients was convicted of a drug and drinking charge, first offense.  They took away his license, put one of the tracking devices on his ankle, and had a monitoring system installed in his house that called and required him perform a breathalyzer test into the machine.  Except for D, he couldn't be more than about 10 feet from his door.  If he ran late getting home from D and couldn't answer the monitoring system, he had to have a doctor's letter to excuse his absence.  I picked him up and took him home some of the time.  I couldn't even run into the store for 5 minutes while he sat in the car.

[Traveller1947]

In NYC, where I live, anyone awaiting trial is held at Ryker's Island.  For dialysis, two armed guards accompany the prisoner to a dialysis center in the area and stay during the entire treatment.  Not something you'd want to experience...

[xyshannen]

Hi, long time lurker, funny this would be my fisrt post, but this is something I've had to deal with. Like you (the OP) I too have been in trouble with a he said she said situation. No money for bail, I had to wait almost 3 months before I was released with probation.

Anyhow, here in Jacksonville FL, the don't give two bits what your health condition is. They hold everyone! For dialysis, 3 times a week I would dress up in a red jumpsuit wearing leg shackles and hand cuffs to go to dialysis. They would ride me in a van with no windows to a local hospital D center where they would then march me through the hallways with everyone staring, then they would stand guard wile I was dialized. I wasn't allowed to watch TV or ask for any snacks. The whole experience was really very embarrassing.

The worst part was after treatment. The hospital has a tiny holding cell with only one small metal bench and a toilet. I would have to wait in there for hours sometimes for them to come and get me. No place to lay down, no blankets to warm yourself, and I was lucky if they fed me.

Not something I would want anyone to ever have to go through.

[Katonsdad]

Thanks for the insight I am going to run the straight and narrow !
Need my wife to kewep me atraight 

Katonsdad

[jbeany]

Maybe I should add the caveat that I was in a very small town area, that choose the house arrest option as often as possible because they didn't have the budget to pay for the staff and the transport to the center.  Since they got to charge huge fees for the "rental" of the monitoring devices, they actually made money on house arrest, instead of having to pay overtime for the staff.

[*kana*]

My PD supply delivery guy's next stop after mine is the county jail.