Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

What happens when states contract with private, for-profit companies to both run their prisons and provide prison health care? Carol Lester, a 73-year-old grandmother, found out shortly after arriving at the New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility in Grants.

According to a lawsuit Lester recently filed against the private companies that run the prison and provide medical care, Lester arrived in December 2010 after being sentenced to three years imprisonment for embezzling from her employer to feed a gambling addiction. During her medical screening, staff noted that Lester had thyroid cancer and required the synthetic hormone Levoythyroxin each day. The screening also revealed that Lester did not use illegal drugs or have a history of illegal drug use.

Read the whole piece: 73-Year-Old Grandma Says She Was Put in Solitary Confinement for Wanting Decent Medical Care