By Courtney Harris
Recently, my mom was sent to UCSF for medical treatment. I went down there for support and I was shocked at the hospital itself. It was very large and extravagant. It ranged for blocks and many streets. It was very nice.
Once we arrived, we were briefed on her status by my step-father whom had been there with her since check-in. He explained that they had just been placed in a room after hours of waiting in admitting for the long-winded process of getting her insurance information and all the specifics verified before my mother could even be seen. They were finally admitted and seen and he updated us on her status. My mom would end up having surgery later on in the afternoon.
When my grandparents, brother and I arrived, we had been so excited to see my mom that we hadn”t paid attention to our surroundings. It wasn”t until later that I noticed just a few doors down, on the neurology floor of the hospital, there was a man in a bed who was being guarded by two correctional officers. This instantly upset me. I would be willing to bet that this prisoner didn”t have to be put through the admitting process as my mother had. I bet he didn”t get any questions asked about how he would be paying for his treatment. That is when it hit me. This man was in jail. We were paying for his food and care inside the prison walls. But now, on top of that, we, as the taxpayers, were also paying for his first-class treatment at a grade-A treatment facility. Then, on top of that, we were also paying for his babysitters, the two armed correctional officers, to sit there and watch this man sleep.
I am not complaining about the correctional officers or the treatment at this facility by any means. My mom and step-dad both work in law enforcement and the facility had saved my mom”s life. My complaint is just the fact that our tax money is being spent on people who have committed heinous crimes and they are receiving better treatment than most of the average public can afford. To me, this is an outrage! I believe that this issue should be addressed and corrected.
Courtney Harris
Lakeport
