Lock Down!

I am currently in Division 17 of the jail, basically stuck, because there is a level 5 security threat and no one can come in or leave. The rumor mill is saying that someone supposedly brought a gun in at the 3pm check in. So I might be here a while. Unfortunately it is Diwali and Raj and I had plans. :( But it makes for a good story.

I guess this would be a good time to give the basic layout of the jail. This what I know, I'm sure there is tons more I am missing. Basically the Cook County Jail is the largest pre-detention holding facility in the country. It averages 100,000 people a year and an average daily population of 9000. It takes in all the people that are awaiting their trial and or final sentencing. This ranges from the pettiest of crimes to the murder cases. It is split up into different divisions. The highest number I have heard is 17. Each division is categorized by amount of security and the type of crime. Women and men are separated. There is a separate division for those with chronic medical problems that are in prison. I know Division 4 is the general floor for women, Division 17 is for women but much gentler and has a lot of treatment programs available for mental health and addiction. Division 9 or 11 is the big gun and is where a lot of the missed medications happen. The judge assigns you to which division you go to and how long. Cermak is the health center affiliated with the jail. It provides for all the medical care in the jail. The amount of services it provides is actually quite incredible if you think about it. Every person that comes through the jail goes through intake. Which is basically a quick run down of your medical problems, your addictions, your medicine. Then you get triaged accordingly - given any immediete meds (you hope) and then if need for f/u, an order gets put in to see the appropriate medical provider (for example an internist, psych, etc). There is an ER that handles anything that comes up acutely in the jail. The ER has its own CT scan, Ultrasound machine, Xray. It has a radiology reading room. Then all the divisions have their medical clinics that run on a daily basis for the chronic care follow up and the acute stuff that comes up. In terms of public health stuff - there is a large scale sexually transmitted disease screening that takes place for women. It has become opt out in the sense that it gets done for everyone unless someone says specifically no. They are trying to get that for the men as well. Espcially for HIV testing because this is a huge population that could potentially be going undiagnosed. They have tuberculosis screening for everyone that comes in too - everyone gets a chest xray. They have care for the HIV patients - a clinic that runs everyday.

I could go on but thats a basic start. My role in all of this is basically experiencing the different medical flavors of the jail. This time around as I mentioned, I've been spending a lot of time w/ HIV patients and in Division 17 - the more rehabilitative program for women. Last time, I did a little bit of everything. Its something different everyday and that is part of its appeal along with many other things. For now, all I want to do is go home and this stupid lockdown to be done! If anyone has any connections, get me out!