That huge amount of tax dollars includes healthcare while in halfway houses and on home confinement as they are legally defined as "in custody of the BOP." What the BOP does, however, is NOT spend that money for the purpose it should be used for, leaving the expense of actually getting healthcare later to the prisoner, family, and the insured, uninsured or paid healthcare system when and if the prisoner survives prison.

::::::::

The Continuing Saga of Gary and Judy White

For first-time readers, Gary White was a county commissioner in Jefferson County, Alabama. Good friends with Les Siegelman, he introduced Les's brother, [former] Alabama Governor Don Siegelman to Richard Scrushy, a local Republican businessman. Because of this, White became inextricably intertwined with Siegelman, who was one of the biggest targets of the Rove-directed, heavily politicized Department of Justice.

Scrushy and Siegelman were later indicted and convicted on charges stemming from that relationship. According to affidavits provided by Gary [and Judy, who was also in the room] White was asked to perjure himself before a Grand Jury in order to make the case against Siegelman and Scrushy. White refused and the very next day, the DOJ started delivering subpoenas to build a case against him. White is now serving ten years. During that time, he has been shunted from one federal facility to another. The recent passage and signing of the First Step Act was supposed to result in the release of Gary and 4,000 other inmates. Siegelman has been out of prison since February, 2017. Gary was finally released recently to home confinement until his sentence is done on July 19th. This is installment #39 of our ongoing series*.

My guest today is Judy White, long-time contributor to OpEdNews. Welcome back to OpEdNews, Judy.

Joan Brunwasser: We haven't spoken in quite a while. Our last installment was on the 4th of July and Gary was this close to being released. I know a lot has happened since then. Can you get us started? You have so many fans and friends among our OpEdNews readers, who are interested in catching up with you two.

Judy White: Thank you, Joan. Gary has been doing much better, so shall we start with him?

JB: Sure!

JW: As you may remember, there have been so many never-should-have-happened incidents with the BOP and Keeton Corrections, operators of the halfway house which unlawfully imprisoned Gary. Those entities are the ultimate poster children for corruption and dishonesty. The deadline set by law for releasing Gary under the First Step Act was July 19th, and they tormented both of us beyond the last minutes they unlawfully controlled him. While requiring us to go to the halfway house two days earlier so they could watch Gary urinate in a cup, they compelled him to return for them to remove the ankle monitor they had attached. We had requested and they refused to combine the two appearances, despite all we had going on at the time and the hardship of making two trips to the halfway house, which was a two-hour long drive in each direction. So, still complying with their unlawful demands, on July 19th, we made another trip to the halfway house, where, after forcing Gary to sit inside and wait as I was forced to wait in the extreme heat outside, they did the bizarre: an employee of corrupt Keeton Corrections handed Gary a pair of scissors and told him to cut the ankle monitor off himself, flippantly telling him to be careful not to cut his leg in the process! Never mind that they had the key to the ankle monitor and could have simply unlocked and removed it or handed the key to Gary for him to do so. They required Gary to destroy the ankle monitor strap.

Because medical care and treatment had continued to be unlawfully withheld and refused while Gary was on home confinement as it had been during his imprisonment, we had scheduled him for appointments. In quick succession, he needed - and had - three serious surgeries along with other urgently-needed procedures, in addition to what we had succeeded in obtaining previously while Gary was the legal responsibility and under the control of Keeton through a contract with the BOP. The BOP cares only about numbers, primarily those beside dollar signs, so once Gary was able to access healthcare, the treatment he required and should have received while in prison cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And as bad as things have been, I am thankful every day that Gary survived, especially with what is being done to prisoners and their families right now during the pandemic.

JB: What a bad ending to an awful chapter in your lives. Lots to talk about here. I'm staggered by the fact that because the BOP did not give Gary the medical care he needed while he was their "guest", you have been saddled with numerous, very costly treatments. That's terrifying. Is that covered by Medicare? Your personal health insurance? Talk about adding insult to injury!

JW: Gary's medical care has been mostly covered by insurance, thankfully, but co-pays and deductibles and everything that has gone along with it, such as ambulance transport, add up to thousands of dollars. But that's not all.

Going back to Keeton Corrections, the halfway house that continued to control Gary even while he was on home confinement. We struggled and begged for them to allow Gary to finally receive urgently-needed medical care. Despite their assurance - "We're not the BOP; if you need healthcare, you get healthcare" - they also continued to withhold healthcare, even refusing to allow Gary to go to appointments we had scheduled. They did allow and schedule a few appointments but only with their chosen nurses and doctors, ones they controlled through contracts, and ones they were responsible for paying under contract with the BOP and NaphCare, as they dictated that Gary's medical care was controlled only by them, scheduled only by them, and paid for only by them. I have an email stating exactly that, along with paperwork given to Gary prior to those medical appointments stating they were responsible. Yet today, almost a year later, we continue to receive bills, collection notices and threats due to non-payment by the very ones who insisted in writing that they were in control and responsible.

JB: That's terrible.

JW: What should outrage the public and policy-makers is that Congress appropriates to the BOP a huge amount of tax dollars every year for the purpose of providing for the healthcare needs of prisoners. That money includes healthcare while in halfway houses and on home confinement as they are legally defined as "in custody of the BOP." What the BOP does, however, is NOT spend that money for the purpose it should be used for, leaving the expense of actually getting healthcare later to the prisoner, family, and the insured, uninsured or paid healthcare system when and if the prisoner survives prison. Everyone knows - because we are always advised - that preventive care is necessary in order to avoid much more costly crisis care later on. What everyone may not realize is that a large proportion of prisoners get out of prison as indigent people, having no insurance or income. Many of them are able to get Medicaid coverage, which is taxpayer-funded, while others simply have no insurance and go to clinics or hospital emergency rooms when needed. Taxpayers also fund a significant part of the expenses of community clinics and uninsured medical and emergency care. But no one seems to ask what happens to the millions of tax dollars the BOP is given to provide healthcare that is not provided, that ultimately has to be provided later at higher costs after prisoners are released, meaning taxpayers are getting double-billed.

Aside from the financial costs, the human suffering is extreme as men and women endure terrible conditions, exposure to life-threatening illnesses, and even death while in prison. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the BOP has reacted predictably, sending sick prisoners to solitary confinement and withholding medical care or emergency intervention until, too often, it's too late for successful treatment. Despite Gary being home, I have maintained involvement with my network of "prison families" and have been horrified to hear about their ongoing suffering. Sometimes it's overwhelming to the point I have to disconnect for a bit, knowing that those who are directly involved don't have the option to do so.

JB: I hear you! And you're absolutely right. Someone should be investigating where all those tax dollars are going since they clearly are not being allocated to prisoner wellness. How are you two coping with the pandemic? Has it affected Gary's re-acclimation and your adjustment to having him there?

JW: Gary and I are doing well together - finally and always together! We both have "issues" and PTSD, and we will always be affected by what has happened, but that includes having been enlightened to injustice and the outrageous suffering imposed on our fellow humans, along with a sense of duty to spread that light.

Gary was on home confinement for months and we kind of perfected and even enjoyed our "reclusive hermit" lifestyle to an extent, but the limitations necessitated by the pandemic have been even worse, especially as we are both at high risk. We haven't seen family or friends in person since early March, except for a brief moment in a parking lot to share necessities. Our daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Scott, have been especially great supporters, checking on us and FaceTiming. We had Easter lunch together via Zoom, sitting at our separate tables and distantly sharing a special holiday meal.

Like everyone else, we miss normalcy. We miss family and friends, going to church, exercising, and community activities, with so many events and activities that have had to be cancelled. Although we like to cook and eat at home, we miss occasional restaurant meals and get-together. We miss ready access to necessities (such as healthcare and toilet paper) and indulgences (such as sun-dried tomato tortillas).

Before our quasi-quarantine, we were trying out a fun dance class. And Gary was creating a lot of art and we were trying to market his work. With the pandemic, almost everything stopped. We became limited to "senior hours" and staying safe at home.

JB: So, what did you do instead?

JW: Ultimately and perhaps unfortunately, necessity awakened a long-dormant sense of creativity in me. Being unable to obtain facemasks, I literally dusted off my old Singer sewing machine, repurposed some fabric I had, and went to work making washable and reusable cotton facemasks for family and friends. Now I can't stop, and Gary is afflicted as well. He doesn't actually sew, but we see him as my "creative consultant" - choosing good fabrics to use - and he has been my "model" as I've tried several different designs and methods. All of our facemasks have a "filter pocket" to allow insertion of filters for additional protection, and since Gary has a short beard, I make them wider to cover more, especially the ones for men.

In many places and as businesses and stores reopen, masks are being required, but if we would all choose to voluntarily wear masks in public as much as possible, it would reduce risks to the most vulnerable. Nobody really likes to have to wear a mask, to be ordered to wear something we aren't accustomed to, to cover our faces and not share smiles. My thought has been to try to find ways to make wearing masks more appealing through fabric selection and added embellishments. So we now have variety - a mask "wardrobe" hanging in the entry near our front door. Before going out, and sometimes even in planning what to wear, we "accessorize" with masks!

JB: I love it! Show us some samples and tell us more.

JW: The first ones were "emergency" masks while it was still cold outside, and thankfully I had a little John Deere fleece left over from making a vest several years ago. I had some pretty pastel fabric I had recently bought planning for an Easter project. And of course I had houndstooth, the unofficial pattern of the Alabama Crimson Tide, that I had intended to use to make aprons for the family and vests for our fur-kids.

This is Gary's first modeling request:

JB: All he needs is the tractor!

JW: True! A John Deere tractor would make Gary's life so happy!

With elastic as impossible to order as toilet paper, after removing and repurposing the elastic from a fitted sheet, it occurred to me that yarn was the solution, so I began to crochet the ties.

On our next Senior Hour trip to Walmart, I found a small piece of Star Wars fabric and some light blue with dots.

JB: The Star Wars doesn't do it for me but I love the other two.

JW: I'm not a Star Wars fan myself, but our kids and some friends are. Keep in mind that we gave away most of the masks, including all of the Star Wars ones.

JW: As it warmed up, I found spring John Deere pattern, owls and wine masks - perfect for those Group FaceTime distanced "happy hours," don't you think?

JW: Feeling patriotic and sharing a love for dogs (and animals) with several friends, I made these:

JB: Those red white and blue ties are fabulous! They add such a pop! You're clearly on a roll. If I say "Roll Tide" here, will it indicate my sensitivity toward your deep Alabama/sports roots?

JW: YES!!! Mask wardrobes don't have to be ugly or monotonous!

Most recently, at the insistence of my Creative Consultant Gary, sea turtles have been captured for masks. But Gary now wants to create coordinating or matching neckerchiefs and vests for our pets, and he has suggested making a sea turtle dress for me to wear with our matching masks!

JB: It's lovely how you've turned adversity into a creative fashion opportunity! Next time, maybe we can see some group photos and what you've come up with for the pets! Thanks so much for talking with me again, Judy. I know our readers have been wondering what you've been up to.

JW: Thanks for your interest, Joan. I'm happy we've had the opportunity to catch up, especially during these troubling times. And please be safe out there!

JB: You too. Looking forward to our next installment!

***

*The Judy and Gary White series, in its entirety, chronologically:

Judy White Fights For Incarcerated Husband's Access to His Prescriptions October 13, 2010

The Feds and the Prisoner's Wife - Do Unto Others... as You Please October 27, 2019

Come and Get It! Prisoners Served Expired Food, "Not for Human Consumption" November 10, 2010

Judy White's Giving Thanks for Prison Visit: It's All Relative November 29, 2010

No Heat in the Cooler: More Tales from Edgefield Federal Prison December 16, 2010

The Devil's in the Details: More Tales from Edgefield Federal Prison, January 11, 2010

Hello Kitty Mysteriously Disappears from Prisoner's Mail at Edgefield, January 24, 2011

Edgefield Prison's Commitment to "Maintaining Family and Community Ties"? March 6, 2011

Winter in July? Trying to Stay Warm in Edgefield PrisonJuly 6, 2011

Neglect at Edgefield Federal Prison Causes Inmate to Lose Toes September 26, 2011

Bureau of Prisons "Disappears" Federal Prisoner Just In Time for His Birthday December 29, 2011

Magic Behind Bars: The Case of the Disappearing 600 Pound Chicken February 22, 2012

Are Federal Prisons Finding it Hard to Let Go? April 24, 2012

Happy Father's Day! and the Justice Department's War On Families June 16, 2012

Federal Prison's "Camp Cupcake" - Putting the Fun[ny] in DysfunctionalAugust 14, 2012

Gary White and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week, November 29, 2012

Scrooged! Millington Federal Prison Camp's Version of Christmas Spirit, December 24, 2012

The Bureau of Prisons, The Flood and Your Tax Dollars At Work, January 27, 2013

Revenge of the BoP: OpEdNews Censored in Two Federal Prisons, February 17, 2013

Warning: Incarceration in US Prison May Prove Hazardous to Your Health, February 23, 2013

Battling Injustice: the BOP and Corrupt Judges, June 18, 2013

Ties that Bind: How the BOP Undermines Families, Part One, June 27, 2013

Ties that Bind - How the BOP Undermines Families, Part Two, July 30, 2013

Anti-Crimson Tide Discrimination? September 15, 2013

Inmates Stick Their Necks Out to Cast Light on Recent Prison DeathNovember 11, 2013

Forrest City FCI: Where Visitors, Civil Rights and Human Dignity Are Unwelcome December 13, 2013

Forrest City Federal Prison: Where Prisoners Don't Have a PrayerJanuary 7, 2014

Here They Go Again! Watch BOP Make Up Infractions On the Fly February 24, 2014

Inside the Polygon of Club Fed - Where Severe Weather and Sadistic Federal Prison Employees Are a Nasty Brew April 30, 2014

BOP: Not Only Cruel and Unusual - Insensitive, Vindictive AND Just Plain Ridiculous June 6, 2014

Is BOP Using Our Tax Dollars to Sever Family Ties?June 15, 2014

BOP: 'Til Death Do Us Part? August 1, 2014

Federal Bureau of Prisons - Is There a Doctor in the House?July 11, 2015

No Inmates Released By the Holidays Despite Promising "First Step Act" December 30, 2018

BoP Flying Monkeys and Administrative ContrariansJanuary 8, 2019

Prison Break: Inmate Escapes Through Art January 26, 2019

Federal Bureau of Prisons' 50 Shades of ... Brown? February 24, 2019

Gary White is ALMOST Free - But the Saga Continues July 4, 2019

Authors Website: http://www.opednews.com/author/author79.html

Authors Bio:

Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which since 2005 existed for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. Our goal: to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Because the problems with electronic (computerized) voting systems include a lack of transparency and the ability to accurately check and authenticate the vote cast, these systems can alter election results and therefore are simply antithetical to democratic principles and functioning.



Since the pivotal 2004 Presidential election, Joan has come to see the connection between a broken election system, a dysfunctional, corporate media and a total lack of campaign finance reform. This has led her to enlarge the parameters of her writing to include interviews with whistle-blowers and articulate others who give a view quite different from that presented by the mainstream media. She also turns the spotlight on activists and ordinary folks who are striving to make a difference, to clean up and improve their corner of the world. By focusing on these intrepid individuals, she gives hope and inspiration to those who might otherwise be turned off and alienated. She also interviews people in the arts in all their variations - authors, journalists, filmmakers, actors, playwrights, and artists. Why? The bottom line: without art and inspiration, we lose one of the best parts of ourselves. And we're all in this together. If Joan can keep even one of her fellow citizens going another day, she considers her job well done.


When Joan hit one million page views, OEN Managing Editor, Meryl Ann Butler interviewed her, turning interviewer briefly into interviewee. Read the interview here.

While the news is often quite depressing, Joan nevertheless strives to maintain her mantra: "Grab life now in an exuberant embrace!"


Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005. Her articles also appear at Huffington Post, RepublicMedia.TV and Scoop.co.nz.