TOW #6- When Prisoners Are Patients

            The act of providing menacing prisoners with free health care and hospital treatment when nearing death has been a hot debate for years. It seems incredibly ridiculous to give someone, who is treated so inhumanely in prison for their past actions, the treatment that less fortunate Americans are too poor to receive. Theresa Brown, a clinical nurse in Pennsylvania who has a variety of experiences working with felons, has constantly been stuck between sides on this issue. She regularly finds herself in situations of doubt and confusion, wondering how she should treat criminal patients and perhaps if she should be treating them at all.   
            As enforced by law, her role in the hospital as a nurse is to not question these types of patients of their history, or reason behind being in jail, as it could affect her ability and willingness to keep them alive. This can be extremely hard at times, as information is so readily available on the internet that the solution to nagging curiosity is only a click away. At the end of the day, however, Brown believes that it is her duty to care for everyone, including criminals, with their best interests at heart. Regardless of the backgrounds of others, if she is at work in the hospital these detestable criminals become important patients that need her help to survive.
            This entire article reflects the irony of prison and may seem morally objectionable to many. Millions of wonderful people across the globe are unable to receive treatment for their illnesses and conditions, whereas the lowest of the low are provided it for free without any questions. It would be expected for this scenario to be flipped around entirely, however sadly it is not. Brown stresses the fact that “if we give needed, accessible care to the most despised and potentially violent among us, surely we can try a little harder to provide it for all” (par 11). It is the passionate and clear tone that Brown uses that causes the American public to deeply consider this issue on a broader level. She encourages the idea of available health care for all, by denouncing the provided care that criminals are so unjustifiably handed, and truly showing society how much work this area of specialty needs.

Brown, Theresa. "When Prisoners Are Patients." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 3 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.