Prison Health Care: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses the health care offered in prisons and jails, who provides it, why it’s so bad, and what Red Bull’s slogan should be.
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[@shadowtech9158]

Glad to see this back not only for John Oliver but know that his writers won in their strike....Also it was nice to see solidarity between him and his writing staff during the strike.

[@theprinceofinadequatelighting]

I would assume he'd have solidarity if he didn't have a history as a writer, but I think the fact that he _was_ a writer is definitely a contributing factor. I don't know whether he writes at all for his show now or if he's (still?) a member of the union, and though that might not be allowed for him in his current position, if it's not disallowed I wouldn't be surprised if both of those things were true. I don't think a possible world exists in the multiverse where the show _didn't_ stop in solidarity with the writers' strike.

[@zufalllx]

Hopefully the quality will rise to match.

[@MorizMusterman]

indeed. i too, consider couple of hundredthousend dollars a year starvation wages. especially with the quality increase in shows like this, colbert, velma and she-hulk or all of star wars.

[@theprinceofinadequatelighting]

​@@MorizMusterman If you think writers are on average making anywhere near a "couple of hundred thousand dollars a year" I think you might benefit from typing just several words into search before the youtube comment box.

[@CourageKarnga]

I hope this means Stephen is back too...

[@glenngriffon8032]

Nothing at all in the prison system should ever be "for profit", it only ever leads to exploitation, abuses, and corruption.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Same for healthcare.

[@LeolaGlamour]

Yeah they lock you up for missing traffic court, the fact that that is legal is insane to me.

[@kumoyuki]

13th amendment, baby. prisons are for profit.

[@chenoir]

Honestly most vital services shouldn't ever be for profit...

[@9770G]

Idk when ppl are gonna wake up and realize most doctors don’t give a fuck about their patients health. They go into the profession in hopes to make crazy $ and that’s about it. I have 10x more respect for first responders (police, fire and EMS workers) than I will ever have for doctors. First responders are criminally underpaid and have real skin in the game, especially cops and firemen since they risk their own life’s to help others. Doctors have zero skin in the game and get totally overpaid. This segment proves it entirely. The doctors at these companies don’t care about helping the prisoners. They just want to get paid. Same for the corporate executives too.

[@RagnarokiaNG]

"...they outsourced it to private companies" This has been the tagline for at least 80% of problems on this show at this point... especially since there was already an episode on for profit prisons.

[@nanleri1167]

As an European, the US is always the bad example of why privatization fucks up things

[@generalpeeps]

​@@nanleri1167 and then the UK gets to be Europe's proof that even diet privatisation is bad for your health

[@kruose]

It's not as much about problem with privatisation as about greedy corrupt politicians.

[@RaeRaeOR]

Private equity destroys what it acquires.

[@pocketgrim4942]

Even boeing lmao

[@rimadoara]

I used to work for Correct Care Solutions. They changed their name to Wellpath in order to avert bad PR. It was a nightmare. I am still recovering from the trauma of what I saw in that facility and still worry about the people incarcerated there.

[@requiembeeblebroxx]

When I was processing COVID samples at my state's health department, I became aware of Wellpath because they contracted with a large number of local jails that did surveillance testing through us. Curious, I looked them up and spent hours of mounting horror reading story after story from investigative reporters, former employees, and the families of people who died in their care. Just on my end, the lack of concern for the inmates' wellbeing was evident from the samples themselves: smears of blood from nosebleeds caused by ungentle collection, samples leaking because the tubes weren't screwed all the way shut, improperly entered patient data delaying result turnaround... And this was before the vaccine, when the best way to stop an outbreak in a facility like that was to detect infection as early as possible. That very tangential experience with prison health care has cemented my belief in the necessity of prison reform.

[@hoanghale2671]

I cannot believe that John is criminally reckless enough to shoot a gun 5 times to the air. A stripper from the production team can easily get hurt

[@tammystockley-loughlin7680]

😅😂 Positive vibes from New Hampshire, remember to be kind to each other and yourself during these trying times.

[@Scents4em]

Thank you for making me laugh today 😄 I’m also sending you positive vibes from Indiana!

[@Markotram]

I was definitely waiting for them to throw a stripper doll down from the ceiling

[@TheActionBastard]

@@Markotram Missed opportunity all around...

[@plebeshakaloso]

You had us in the first half not gonna lie 😅

[@fosterfuchs]

"The more money you spend, the less profit we'll have" not only applies to private prison healthcare. It applies the entire private health insurance system in the United States.

[@Sarah-xt8ol]

At first i thought this story was about elder care again lol...because thats about how it runs

[@christianschoff2490]

Including for us veterans. They keep fucking me over.

[@itsthevoiceman]

@@Sarah-xt8ol - its about everything that's wrong with this country.

[@TotallyNotRedneckYall]

Capitalism 🤷‍♂️

[@videt7459]

100% this. At this point, no one earning less than 40k a year on the outside has better healthcare than inmates do. America is so broken.

[@blairanderson5925]

My brother almost died last week because the prison nurse thought he was making up the pain in his abdomen. When she got tired of his “act” and had him transferred to the local hospital for tests, they found his appendix had burst. Took 5 full days for all of the toxins to drain out and the doctor said he was about 20 minutes from dying.

[@RobertWilkinsonJKekMaloy]

Sounds about right.

[@wolverine3219]

Was that nurse ever fired?

[@martinmason2198]

Play stupid games, earn stupid prizes.

[@GBfanatic15]

my grandfather died of a ruptured appendix at the age of 45, so yeah I'd say he's lucky to be alive and that woman should be appalled

[@amathy9690]

@@martinmason2198 Being in prison does not mean you earned death.

[@iamacoolcid]

There was a story about a man getting to a yelling match with his neighbor, neighbor called the cops and they arrested the man, as he was being arrested he told the officer and everyone in the jail that he just had heart transplant and HAD to take antirejection meds 3 times a day. He never got any for the 2 days he spent in jail and died the day after he was released due to heart failure. They turned getting into a neighborly dispute into a death sentence

[@katla9384]

I work in outpatient mental healthcare. It's typical for my patients when they go to jail to wait up to a week to start getting their normal medications. This is extra bad if they are on anti-epileptic meds where suddenly stopping can cause seizures. Jails do this because the jail has to confirm the meds they are on. A call to their pharmacy could do this in a hour, but for some reason it takes days to a week.

[@millersville15]

This is too shocking and sad

[@dcs002]

"There was a story about..."? (Social media translation: "The following is sensational and probably untrue, but it will get you wound up.") Well documented events are bad enough. Rumors weaken their impact.

[@RichardForbus-vi1uh]

This is a true story. It was in Florida.@@dcs002

[@Diinytro]

@@dcs002 Is it untrue?

[@vampiredinosaur]

It’s horrifying that any part of the prison system is privatized.

[@firefly9838]

As a former corrections officer I completely agree.

[@LarsaXL]

Gotta get that slave labour from somewhere...

[@kehlcassidy9562]

It's horrifying that any part of the HEALTHCARE system is privatized...

[@fosterfuchs]

Education, healthcare, and the correctional system should never be privatized. Inserting a profit maximization goal into these industries only makes them worse.

[@MiotaLee]

for profit

[@veevee306]

I am a nurse. I cared for an inmate who was "compassionately released" from prison absolutely FULL of cancerous tumors. They were in his spinal cord, in all of bones literally eating him alive. There was no possible treatment and I just kept him full of pain meds around the clock. The worst part? His cancer was at one point treatable. The prison system simply denied him care until he was terminal and then dumped him to die in horrific, intractable pain.

[@mboaz4730]

I see they got that death sentence that they wanted.

[@Ms.Amylia_Clenny]

​@mboaz4730 Many of these prisoner *people* were not given a death sentence in court; that I'd what the prison system turned their sentence / time served into.

[@nonya.bizness]

it feels gross to give your horrifying comment a thumbs up, but thank you for sharing the story.

[@contedefees]

It is astounding that denying someone medical care so that they die of cancer isn't considered a violation of the Eighth Amendment. That is truly cruel and unusual punishment.

[@WoefulMinion]

@@mboaz4730 Even better for them, because they wouldn't be allowed excessive pain if they executed him.

[@justynas3349]

In one prior episode about prisons John said something like: How we treat prisoners is not a testament about their crimes but who WE are as a society/people. And I don't remember his exact phrasing but that sentiment really resonated with me and I think applies really well to this episode too.

[@amyfranz9547]

It's one of the episodes on lethal injections or death penalty

[@perplexed8880]

This is why John Oliver is essential. There is literally NO ONE in mainstream who is fearless enough and based enough to advocate for Prison Abolition. Respect. And thank you.

[@Netherlands031]

Well, reform, not abolition

[@TheMikadoOfLondon]

What do you mean by "abolition"?

[@perplexed8880]

@@TheMikadoOfLondon There is literature on the subject. Please read up on it, if you're interested in building a society based on true justice and compassion. It's a well thought through concept, backed by research and cold data.

[@prezidenttrump5171]

"True Justice and compassion" You're a total joke man. It's clear you don't pay your own bills.@@perplexed8880

[@Eldest854]

​@perplexed8880 you were asked a question and your answer was look it up for yourself. I'm now positive you have no idea what your talking about

[@AP-hn8wd]

Welcome Back John Oliver, We’ve missed you!

[@silversheep7369]

Gotta appreciate that engagement, lol

[@john2g1]

Time to resubscribe to uh what is it called now? Max

[@JohnnyDelco]

Didn't even know he was gone

[@Otto_Von_Rizzmark]

So fricking much

[@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii4222]

It's like rat porn.

[@tashokukisune]

I’ve been a jail nurse before and I have to say the absolute callousness from nursing staff was so real. I prided myself on giving my patients the best care possible and with compassion and empathy. I never looked up their charges because it didn’t matter. It’s not my job to judge. That’s the legal system. I’m the healthcare system. My job is to provide top quality care to every human being I am charged to care for. I take it seriously. But it’s disappointing to see most speak about the detainees with zero compassion or empathy and think they deserve to suffer. And mine wasn’t even privatized.

[@clmoss83]

I work in a hospital and we often have prisoners on our floor. We are never supposed to look up what they are incarcerated for but lots of people still do. One nurse looked up her patient and found out why he had been arrested (messing with little kids). She refused to look after him and she lost her job over it.

[@GungaLaGunga]

Most of the good decent people like you have left and I don't blame them.

[@andresmall3830]

First job offer as a doctor was a jail… couldn’t do it

[@Pandemonis]

That's the Oath of Hyppocrat, right there, congrats !

[@kanodogg]

That's why you're in prison now.

[@emmygoldman1065]

My dear nephew was dealt an awful hand in life, was in and out of foster care until being adopted at 15. As a result, he’s been in and out of prison for all of his adult life. I love him unconditionally despite his mistakes, but he suffers from severe Bipolar disorder and depression. At this point, I’ve just been trying to emotionally prepare myself to get a call that he finally succeeded in his multiple suicide attempts. It breaks my heart to say that almost as much as it breaks my heart how the Justice & healthcare system has absolutely failed him at every turn. He’s told me many times now how much he wants to get better, but it’s impossible for him to do that because of how the world treats him. Thank you for bringing light to this, John ❤️

[@KMx108]

Please suggest your nephew try methylfolate (a form of vitamin B9) for his bipolar disorder and depression. Try anywhere from 2 to 5 mg a day. This makes a big difference for some people. It has worked for a friend of mine.

[@samuelbarber6177]

It’s really disturbing how many people want people in prisons to endure the worst possible torture imaginable. It’s sadistic. No, it’s not okay just because they’ve been convicted of a crime.

[@ayhay4686]

The worst prison is the prison of the mind. Wasn't the Jews who invented the Talmud? they are the ones who created this crisis. First, they steal your girlfriend, then your bank account, then they deport you to a third world country , so they can torture you in any way they like. Basically, they invented khamas, and now they complain about it. What happened to 'the individual rights as the basis for society's rights' ? This attack is just proof that their doctrine is false and flawed.

[@courtneyisaseagull]

Fully agreed. It's sickening!

[@joshlewis575]

While this may be true for 95% of prisoners that other 5 surely doesn't deserve compassion at all. Plenty of pure monsters in those places

[@spongeintheshoe]

@@joshlewis575 But as a rule, I think we should be less concerned with ensuring that those 5% experience the suffering they deserve, and more concerned about the other 95% enduring suffering they _don’t_ deserve.

[@FaithHope21]

​@@spongeintheshoeexactly.

[@ronaldeliascorderocalles]

This man came back to scare me every week about the state of the world... I missed him so much.

[@tylerhackner9731]

It’s what he does best

[@omelett3281]

And I can't wait to be scared much more often

[@JaydevRaol]

Yeah same. 😂

[@stephan5279]

Not the world. Just the US... ;)

[@baileygregg6567]

Narrow scope🤦‍♂️

[@Vincent.E.M.Thorn.Author]

It's crazy how if you specifically ask "Does this particular crime warrant a death sentence", the answer will almost always be no, but once they go behind bars, suddenly the blanket "They're criminals, that means they're all murderers and rapists, and that means they deserve whatever horrific treatment lies inside" argument comes out

[@Kuolonen]

Hypocrites all of them. At least they should have the consistency to demand for death penalty for every prison sentence, instead of leaving the degree of punishment up to random chance. Prisons shouldn't be resorts but there shouldn't be extrajudicial punishment that have nothing to do with the crime.

[@FreeOfFantasy]

Also that is not only the state of prisons but also the state of jails, where people go before they are convicted of anything.

[@John_Smith_86]

And what is the issue there? You make it out alive, then so be it. But aren't everybody coming out

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

Pay to play system with prisoners have no civil rights.

[@8xottox8]

​@@John_Smith_86 The issue is that prisoners are still citizens and deserve humane treatment no matter what their crime was. Rather simple stuff, really.

[@shadeitplease7383]

I was incarcerated for 2 years. Shortly after I got transferred from jail to prison I had an abscessed tooth. The pain was excruciating. I could barely eat, I couldn’t sleep. I only slept when I finally passed out from being up too long because the pain was so bad. I got on the dentist list to have the tooth pulled. They let me sit like that for 6 months before they finally called me out to get my tooth extracted.

[@audreyh6628]

Disgusting. I'm so sorry that happened to you

[@awesomesmasher999ftw4]

My son had a nervous breakdown in jail. His treatment was to have his clothes taken away, be put in a cell by himself, with guards watching a TV that kept him up all night. Some treatment!

[@BrianThorne]

Let's let people with real problems have the podium

[@QueenSaffryn]

Can I just say congratulations to the writers for getting their demands met, so the rest of us can once again enjoy shows like this? :)

[@maryroberts589]

Yes to this, but also to them earning healthcare & a living wage!

[@SupramanRambled]

I came here to say this. I am so glad the show is back but even more glad that the support that John gave his staff during the strike. Man's no scab.

[@boRegah]

Yes you can. Who would stop you?

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

@@boRegah PEOPLE LIKE YOUUU 😜

[@Caterfree10]

HELL YEAH BABY

[@messgaming]

It is alarming how excited I am to have a weekly dose of horrific information spoon fed to me by John.

[@lindseeziegler90]

😅ikr

[@CasualGamerGameplay]

I've been that way since August 2015..... you get used to having the thought of "Boy I can't wait to see what I'll be horrified by this week"

[@degreeskelvin3025]

I saw the title for this when it first came out and was like naw, i dont need more depression today, imma just come back another time 😂

[@KWifler]

He's trying to get people to care about serious important issues, not watch it for entertainment like a horror flick. Get some help.

[@danbsports6760]

I do find it odd that I have to be entertained to spend twenty minutes on an important topic that I would probably click away from if I had even clicked on an article with a headline like this. The feeling of hopelessness of not being able to do much to fix it is worth it, just as a humanity check, though. On the other hand, what if there had been a stripper in the studio audience? Taking a real chance there, weren't you John?

[@lexinicole4317]

When my uncle was in prison for a non violent drug offense, he was allowed to fall down a flight of stairs while having a seizure and left to seize by a toilet until his cell mate begged the guards to get him out of there because he didn’t want a dead body in his cell. Safe to say healthcare is not a priority when you’re in prison.

[@andrewfloodeen5720]

As someone who chugged energy drinks to get through shifts at Red Lobster, I felt that particular joke. Yet another good story from “here’s shit that desperately needs fixing” with John Oliver

[@jonno_bon]

I immediately had to think of this quote: “A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.”― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

[@technopoptart]

the us doesnt have criminals though, it has slaves and future slaves :/ it is quite literally written into the constitution(amendment 13)

[@jonno_bon]

@@technopoptart it's hard to say but I think you're right,didn't Netflix made a documentary about that ? I think John Oliver also made an episode about the subject of Prison Labor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5vUkoGHZZZrsLc . Now I'm not an American so my jaw always drops on the floor watching LWT(Really glad John is back), so every time I watch I cannot believe how the richest country in the world has so many questionable laws and basic human rights. BTW this comment section always (still) seems like a sane part of the internet somehow.

[@jake_]

Yes, the US constitution excludes prisoners from protection against slavery. Some legal scholars are trying to downplay this by calling it "“involuntary servitude”, but playing with words doesn't change the fact that slavery for a section of the population is still alive and well..

[@specist]

That quote was running through my head the entire time I was watching.

[@cy-one]

@@jonno_bon *"BTW this comment section always (still) seems like a sane part of the internet somehow."* Wait until you come across the comments saying as much as "I don't care if you're incarcerated because you weren't able to pay a speeding ticket, you do deserve the indirect death penalty."

[@DragonFae16]

As I get older, I find it harder and harder to understand the sheer inhumanity displayed by so many American institutions.

[@ianbattles7290]

I blame the complete lack of consequences for government employees who screw up.

[@BuildinWings]

@@ianbattles7290 Really, not the people who hire private prison companies or the companies who'd rather kill inmates than lose a dime?

[@RipMinner]

Really? I'm 45 and I find it harder and harder to find any American institutions that have any kind of humanity displayed in action and not just words.

[@memyself898]

@@BuildinWings well how do you think those people get away with no consequences? The government employees allow this to happen as they get a lot of incentive to do so.

[@BuildinWings]

@@memyself898 You keep saying "government" as if these aren't private companies. Stop telling that lie. These are corporate entities.

[@michaelsnow3536]

I LOVE this show's relentlessly humanist approach to every matter. Some of these stories are enough to make you cry out of frustration at the sheer cruelty being imposed, but at least the message is being delivered loud and clear here.

[@illyxxolicnaxim]

I’m a primary care doc who sees a lot of people just after they’re released from prison. I always assume they’ve received no healthcare for the length of their sentence. Many have diabetes untreated for years, and the consequences of that stay with them for the rest of their lives. Worse is the psychological trauma of no one caring. It takes a long time to recover, and too often that recovery is incomplete

[@Cherokie89]

Corporate healthcare is one of the most dystopian things about this country.

[@lindseeziegler90]

💯

[@alastorcorvus]

we have the worst version of cyberpunk

[@Patti-xl1ej]

Wow, nailed it. Never thought about it in those terms. ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

[@KaleRylan]

I left the country when I graduated college for work (masters in international relations, it was natural) do despite being born and raised in the us ive never paid a us Healthcare bill. I have never gone back and this is legitimately part of why. The thought of the healthcare costs there terrifies me.

[@themusicgaragetmg2330]

Ah they addressing healthcare for prisoners now coz they know trump needs it, and if HE's going down, likely he's gonna drag a lot of his sycophants and cronies with him.

[@travelingnome87]

Nothing about this story surprises me. I'm in healthcare, and at one hospital I would frequently take care of prisoners. I would get so angry, all the time about it. Not because they were criminals, heck they were often the nicest person I had all day. But they would often have a simple, fixable problem that was ignored, blown off, or laughed at. By the time someone was willing to get it looked at, the simple problem was catastrophic, and needed to go to a specialist so they wouldn't die. No one should ever be treated this way.

[@chris9898776]

I’ve actually followed Corrections officers Facebook pages, and I’m horrified about the number of comments I see laughing about inmate abuse.

[@bread8465]

@@chris9898776 unfortunately not surprising, given the type of people those roles tend to attract (sadistic sociopaths)

[@joer8273]

Anytime, a fellow inmate friend of mine went outside the facility to get medical treatment, they always came back with stories about how the nurses said they were the nicest people they’ve dealt with. For what it’s worth, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met her in person. Plenty of assholes too, but a lot of nice ones. Certainly surprised me.

[@chris9898776]

@@joer8273 people really need to get the idea out of their heads that all or even most inmates are monsters who need to be locked away for the safety of society. Close to half of all inmates are locked up for non-violent crimes, and even many violent inmates could be reformed if you provided them with a stable life.

[@joer8273]

@@chris9898776you’re so right. To exacerbate the matter, when we get out into society, we get lumped into a category of “bad” and are forever impacted. Finding a job is ridiculous. The utilization of ATS and fairly universal background checks eliminates our chances of even getting an interview. And it’s not only for 7 years; that’s a farce. Employment background checks show criminal backgrounds for beyond 10 years.

[@trinalittlefield6294]

I was a jail nurse for 6 years. There's was no doctor in the building (he came twice a week for sick call) so you had to make a lot of emergency medical decisions on your own. I worked for small company who contracted with 3 counties in the state. BASIC care was provided to inmates. Like the show explained, the company agrees to an amount so inmates only got sent out for services when absolutely necessary. Dental care consists of having teeth pulled because they're so infected it's the only option. At the time, all the facilities in the state did not allow opiates or benzodiazepines for any reason. We had a woman dying of cancer come in and she was denied her morphine. Inmates were given a 2 week clonidine protocol for withdrawal. I subsequently became addicted to opiates after injuring my back (no health insurance through the company because it sucked and it was too expensive, so I was just given a prescription for vicoden and then oxytocin) and when I went through withdrawals myself, I realized just how terrible it is. I would rather go through childbirth! I couldn't imagine going through it in jail. It definitely made me glad that I was at least nice and showed compassion to the inmates who were going through it, unlike the other nurses I worked with. I almost ended up in jail (or federal prison) myself. I lucked out and was sentenced to a federal drug court program. It's important to never judge because you don't know where life will take you. People that I took care of in jail used to stop and say hi and thank me for doing what I could for them and it honestly meant a lot to me. I don't practice nursing anymore but my old boss still bugs me about coming back to work for him. Even though it was frustrating to not be able to provide the level of care people deserve, I enjoyed the job and I enjoyed advocating for the inmates.

[@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689]

Ive just started in prison nursing. In the UK the healthcare providers in prison are private (boo) but the good thing is if we suspect anything acute we can just send them to a government hospital for state funded treatment on the NHS (yay)

[@Widdekuu91]

You sound wonderful, thank you for doing your job right.

[@maryannemalandrinos5504]

the fact that people like john oliver exist makes me genuinely emotional my god is he such a beautiful person

[@blackasmilk]

First time I ever had a seizure was when I was 18 and in jail for underage drinking at a Halloween party... I hit my head on the railing, awoke to an officer yelling at me, then saying "told you he was making shit up" and when I asked what happened and another inmate told me " bro. You fainted, hit your head on the rail and started shaking and shit. Guards locked us all down while you were seizing. I didn't know what to do."

[@samprada9298]

That's scary

[@Seigensi]

Be thankful, they'd shoot you for it and call it demonic possession or something stupid like that now.

[@SpicyGramCracker]

Geezuz. Hope you are well and good now ❤

[@Thomas83KO]

OMFG you were seized because of (underage) drinking at the age of 18?! That there is already a crime pulled out by the law! In which country do you live in, Iran, Saudi-Arabia, UAE or...?

[@CMDRZero01]

​@Thomas83KO My bet would be 19-20, in the USA, after attending a college Halloween party.

[@gbalock]

I applaud the opening statement that “100% of prisoners are people”. Labels dehumanize these people.

[@Joppi1992]

Kinda made me think of kennels when he said that though... Even though they're not technically called "prisoners", those dogs are still locked up just like prisoners are.

[@pullt]

The juxtaposition of expected dry and factual statistics with that made up statistic was an intentional humor device.

[@honeyblue2902]

Yep, and these for profit health companies see people all the same, incarcerated or not. Whatever terrible standards are set for the 'lowest' members of society will eventually become the standards for anyone who isn't obscenely wealthy.

[@linksbetweendrinks7032]

Funny. Conservatives didn't care about prison Healthcare before. I wonder why they suddenly do now...

[@1023759]

We use the term “residents” in Maine. As more and more people are incarcerated, we’ve found the stigma of “inmate” so many of our citizens carry following their imprisonment, is hindering their ability to find success. Language matters!

[@royw-g3120]

There was even a joke in that ER episode about the squashed Dr (a bit of a heel character) "Man, that guy must have done something really bad to a helicopter in a previous life".

[@lucematt335]

My moms ex was in prison and he called saying he had a painful infection on his foot with red streaks going up his leg. I kept checking in to make sure he hadn't gone septic because the red streaks and infection are classic sepsis. It took days before a nurse saw him, and if he wasn't in prison he would have been treated immediately at an ER. It's truly a broken system

[@DabsOnDabs]

Yup, know someone who had an infection while in county jail and they weren't treated for it while there. You can still see some bruising and swelling from it. Terrible luck to have any sort of medical problem while in jail or prison... if it's not immediately life threatening, you probably won't get help for it.

[@BlackEyedGhost0]

"100% of prisoners are people" Thank you for emphasizing that. Far too many people forget it.

[@Chad_Thundercock]

All prisoners are human beings, but let's not assume they are all people.

[@user-me3cr9bb4d]

Also want to emphasize that this is supposed to be a short-term solution to a problem. People are supposed to learn to do better there. So what are we teaching the inmates? Because, if we don't teach them to do better, they'll just keep doing the same stupid stuff.

[@liz_loves_cats]

​@@Chad_Thundercockum...what is missing the point completely for 100 dollars Alex

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Trouble with an argument like this is that it's easily negatable by incarcerating non humans.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

That still seems like a low estimate honestly.

[@sebastianfix9148]

The American healthcare system isn't broken, it's working exactly as intended. It was simply never made to benefit the patients.

[@radimku1]

Amen! It is immoral, and I don't understand how it's not unconstitutional. How does this greed-driven, so-called healthcare system align with our unalienable right to life? How to pursue happiness when sick or dying and not wealthy enough to receive the care needed? I don't mean to sound too dramatic, but I think this is the greatest (and completely legal) atrocity perpetrated by a government on its own people in the modern history. And yet, we have the audacity to preach to the rest of the world.

[@melangellatc1718]

Indeed...

[@LeniDell]

Exactly. Democracy does NOT equal hyper capitalism. Healthcare for PROFIT is immoral, impractical and utterly hypocritical. And the US is the ONLY major power that has this for profit system. Yet morons campaign AGAINST Medicare for all. Unbelievable that people literally are fighting to keep allowing insurance companies to decide what healthcare you get. And the priority is the insurance companies PROFITS. Not your health. Unbelievably hypocritical and pathetic.

[@noonynoonynoo]

ABSOLUTELY.

[@dannypomeroy9255]

That's because Congress caves to the Great idea of Stocks the America dream even Defence Contractors making billions of Dollars wile American families pay the price...our Tax system may be better served by just a flat Tax system in Royalty Taxes on them Stocks that Americans lose there life's so therefore gaining wealth in stocks this is totally a problem into our stocks..as it is our Healthcare in Medicare 4 All its your taxes Medicare 4 all is coming there to much waste in our Healthcare yet today...

[@jacobjoachim2138]

Thanks for making this video my sister lost her first child because when she went into labor the guards at the county jail decided to call my mother to pick her up and bring her to the hospital instead of an ambulance. This topic is incredibly important those guards killed my nephew.

[@jacobmartin8896]

What you all do makes a difference. I genuinely appreciate it and wish everyone associated with the show nothing but the best. The existence of this show has changed the way I view the world, I cannot overstate how much I appreciate everyone involved in making this.

[@fallenpheonixrising]

I have an uncle who shot his son in law for abusing his daughter and grandkids. He was sentenced to life. At one point they realized he had brain cancer and a tumor had been pressing on the part of the brain connected to higher reasoning and impulse control since before the shooting. We could have appealed to get a retrial or to get medical parole, but my aunt explained that all of their money had been used on the original court case and even if he did get released, they didn’t have health insurance so he wouldn’t be able to get treatment once he was no longer a prisoner. He died alone in jail. This shouldn’t be the kind of math families have to do in the richest nation on earth.

[@rawx485]

Especially considering he should have been awarded a medal rather than prison.

[@oddjobs3600]

I dont see y hes in jail in the first place lol

[@SoCalGrillin]

I feel your pain dude, my dad died in prison due to cancer caused by exposure to the chemicals involved with making meth. I just hope he got better treatment in the hospital wing than if he was in gen pop (even though he never sold to kids)

[@NavaSDMB]

It shouldn't be the kind of math people have to do anywhere.

[@JorikPar]

@@rawx485 Yeah, because vigilantism is an awesome thing and not prone to failure ....

[@seanaugagnon6383]

When I was in San Francisco county jail the nurse asked me how long I had been sober. I told her 4 months. she laughed at me saying I couldn't say that because "being sober in jail doesn't count" .... I'm sorry I thought you were asking a medical question and not just setting me up for an insult. In the same jail the only dental care was and I quote "we only pull teeth" Also a 60 year old inmate had cancer and he was given the drink Ensure. like it would help cancer. no worries about the lack of decent food. we can just give a supplement drink. When you treat people like they are monsters you run the risk of creating monsters.

[@marching27]

oh my god..... thats ........ so traumatizing, I would be so appalled. What does that bitch mean by being sober in jail doesn't count. what an asshole. I mean I am sure so many other things were also traumatizing but jesus.. so many issues, no help for the addiction just judgment. ugh....

[@John_Weiss]

Correction: “When you treat people like they are monsters you run the risk of -creating monsters- becoming a monster yourself.” And _that_ is what the law is supposed to be there for: *Not* to "protect criminals" but to _protect us from becoming monsters_ when we deal with criminals.

[@coalblooded]

Like drugs and alcohol are never a thing in jail or prison lol What a shitty nurse, I'm sorry. Some people, man :(

[@ajqueen31]

Cancer clinics often give patients Ensure or other high protein and calorie drinks to help reduce the Incidence of muscle wasting and keep the patient stable with their weight. In addition to a regular diet. It's not a substitute for actual cancer treatment, but it is part of a treatment plan.

[@AsherBunnyman]

​@@John_WeissGaze too long into the abyss, and the abyss gazes back.

[@blakepederson]

“Society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.”

[@Jeffyd133]

Redbull tastes like if somebody melted down robocop and poured it in a can

[@thisisntmybirthname]

My father-in -law is a dentist and used to allow state prisoners to come to his office once a month to get treatment. The prisoners where always 6 -12 months past when they should have come in. When asked how have you been living with an abscess for this long? They would say, they just give me ibuprofen for the last year. They would only come in when the infection would end up being life threatening. He was also told that he had to write prescriptions differently, because after their one visit they wouldn’t be back for follow up, so he could never check to make sure they responded to treatment. I asked him one day, how could the state allow human beings to get to that point? He didn’t know. He did this out of kindness,because it didn’t pay well at all, and he would schedule them only one day a month and not allow other appointments during that time, so as not to scare off his patients. (These were generally, “lifers”, shackled, with 2 deputy escorts). The horror stories I heard of cases that should have been seen for months or even years before they were seen, broke my heart. It is cruel and unusual punishment.

[@montamiddleton9318]

I worked for a dentist who did the same thing. As for how the prison let a man go that long with a mouth full of rotten teeth is not the prisons responsibility. There are people with great dental insurance that aren't in prison walking around with severely rotten teeth and they won't go to a dentist. It's prison y'all not a spa day. Food sucks, showers are cold, guards are mean. Don't break the law so you don't end up in prison. It's not that complicated.

[@tenebroussapiens2800]

@@montamiddleton9318 It is quite easy for an innocent person to go to jail. And that presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt doesn’t apply unless you can afford a very good and expensive lawyer.

[@MoonShadeStuff]

Wow, America is even more of a 3rd world country if that last comment represents the general sentiment towards prisoners. The system isn’t designed to rehabilitate people like in developed countries, instead it’s to take their human rights away to the point where you’re probably breaking the Geneva convention. Never thought me as a German has to remind Americans that prisoners have human rights but here we are, don’t know how America could turn so bad.

[@kitsunekaze93]

@@montamiddleton9318 prisoners should recieve warm showers, good food, and be treated nicely and with respect by the guards. It doesnt matter if you are the nicest person on the planet who has saved the world a hundred times, or if you are the worst scum on this earth who killed millions. Everyone deserves comfort and to not suffer while they live. If they are so horrible that "they deserve to suffer" then kill them instead. cant kill them because there is a small chance they are innocent? then it would be even worse to let them suffer!

[@pixality7902]

​@@montamiddleton9318are you serious? Not being in debilitating pain is not a spa day. Teeth are not cosmetic as much as the insurance divide wants to make you think so. How do you live with yourself being such a despicable person? I have no doubt that many prisoners are better people than you. Its literally against our constitution and you want to pretend you aren't cut from criminal cloth. Your very mindset makes you worse than anyone in prison for non violent, minor offenses. The only difference is that you target a vulnerable population so nobody cares. That doesn't make you any less of a shitty person who deserves to rot in prison more than many of the people there. I'm sick of living among such despicable bloodthirsty freaks who pretend they are decent people but have nothing but malice in their heart.

[@1989Nihil]

"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." - Dostoevsky

[@scientiarulz3828]

You and your writers were missed, John! Glad you’re back covering issues as only you do!!

[@reneepeffer]

Just because someone is in jail doesn't mean they get good care. A friend in jail is so legally drugged as to be unrecognizable. Glad to have you back John!

[@katiewhitley5422]

One of the first things they drill into your head in nursing school is to always treat chest pain as a potential heart attack.

[@languidspider5252]

I imagine that having gone to nursing school makes you overqualified for the kind of care a private provider actually wants to provide. You'd know something is wrong, which means the "proper action" of shrugging and doing nothing would make someone liable for damages. But if they hire an absolute idiot then that idiot can do nothing in good faith and nobody is liable for damages. The things you can do for profit when you completely dehumanize the people it is being done to...

[@tanadarko6991]

RIght?? I'm not even a nurse and I know that much!

[@stevefromsaskatoon830]

My mom was a nurse and she'd be like " your chest hurts, rub some dirt on it" 😂 also she named one of my sisters Kate btw lol

[@Neyskii527]

Literally!! An EKG takes 10min top and getting bloodwork to check HST would take even lest time. Doubtful they have labs onsite that could process specimens quickly but at least she'd be trying to do the most basic things for a patient complaining of chest pain. Completely preventable and just sad.

[@CollinMcLean]

Worked as a CNA for two years now and yep... The second a patient complains of chest pain I tell their nurse and immediately get a glucometer and vital machine incase they call a Rapid... Chest pains are not something we take lightly...

[@Kavinicus1]

So excited to have you back John! Congrats to the writers for staying strong and getting what they deserved 🎉

[@JaydevRaol]

Yes! 🙌

[@zufalllx]

What they deserve is pay that's reflective of the quality of their production. But we'll go with your thing.

[@CourageKarnga]

I'm so damn happy the writers got their dues! Now we can get back to laughing at the broken state of our society instead of banging our heads against the wall.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

​@@CourageKarnga🤣🤣🤣

[@chae5833]

I love this. I appreciate you and your team, John, for speaking out for those who society has cast out. It's a wonderful thing that speaks to us as a people. Keep it up!

[@RoninWolf1982]

Thank you for your support of prisoners and your commitment to bettering their lives John. Welcome back!

[@meganmartin9305]

Yess John Oliver is back🎉 CONGRATULATIONS WRITERS!! We appreciate your hard work, dedication to the craft, and determination to get what you guys RIGHTFULLY deserve!!!

[@stephendurkee16]

Doctor here: these stories are indeed tragic, but not dissimilar from what the average American will experience with insurance companies, even outside of the prison system. Denies needed imaging, dropping coverage for life saving medications, generally delaying care. In my area it’s 6 months or greater to be seen by primary care, even with private insurance because our system is so underfunded and so overtaxed. We have a broken system in this country and I am seeing it crumble first hand. Of course our prisoners deserve health care but so do average Americans. We need to do better.

[@TheGuindo]

yeah.... this is just what happens whenever you inject a "for profit" system in between patients and doctors. if you lose money every time you pay for something a patient needs, then the only way to profit is by refusing to pay for things.

[@bryanrendleman2001]

Obama care-less is doing exactly what it was intended to do.

[@dalpz205]

I'd be willing to bet private prison care and private insurance care is all owned by the same private equity.

[@samuela-aegisdottir]

It is terrible that such things happen in such a rich country. And universal healthcare is even cheaper than the absurd system US have. I hope that American people will fight for their rights and get universal healthcare as soon as possible - it is an essential service every other developed country provides to its citizens, even countries in "poor" "Eastern" Europe. Nobody is denied treatment or gets bancrupt for cancer in my country - and we are not considered rich, at least not by Americans.

[@davidd6660]

Private equity and insurance companies sure do love our system, however. RN here, it saddens me to hear the PBM creating care for patients that maximizes profits for the insurance company. Kickbacks are just a reality of a system and any fines the cost of doing business. Like JPM metals desk controlling the gold trade with spoofed orders. Billion dollar fine? No prob. There's no consequences for the new mob. Meanwhile 'Mericans drinkin beer and drivin big trucks! WOOOO!! BUILD THAT WALL!

[@madssocks8532]

It's wonderful to binge a bunch of LWT and watch John slowly become a prison abolitionist

[@chefvonsean4057]

I just want to say thank you for shedding light on issues like this!

[@SHGames97]

John suggesting those of us in our 20’s one day will have cocaine money ❤️ what a kind optimistic fellow!

[@samuela-aegisdottir]

Cocain is cheaper than a house. Young people will never be able to afford any house, they might by cocain by the saved money.

[@joew8440]

Mixing it with fentanyl makes it cheaper. Beware kids!

[@tisjester]

Don't worry.. You will..

[@goodgrief1163]

It's not that expensive🤣

[@christopherweise438]

@@goodgrief1163 - Sounds like something somebody with cocaine money would say.

[@elizabethward5159]

As a person who has been incarcerated in county jail & state prison, and who has also known several others who have been incarcerated in facilities across the country, it is safe to say that often the most dangerous part of being locked up is the risk of illness/injury. Not only is the medical care woefully incompetent and nearly impossible to access, but in most places it's actually NOT FREE. If you do actually get to see a nurse ir dentist, you will be charged for it, and if they suggest any otc meds, they often require you to buy them from canteen/commissary for an outrageous price. I watched women have multiple seizures on a near daily basis & never be taken to a hospital or be allowed the prescribed meds for their condition. A friend had a cut on her foot become infected, staff refused her treatment until eventually her toes had to be amputated. Also our jails and prisons are often filthy dirty & therefore increase likelihood of infections. Our country sucks at both incarnation and health care.

[@djtundra8011]

Jeez that’s awful. This just further proves that prisons and jail aren’t trying to rehabilitate people to society and prevent repeated crime…instead they probably just make people even angrier and more resilient. And to deny necessary medication like that 😵‍💫 like jeez

[@MusashiHeaz]

That was really powerful. Welcome back y'all! We're so happy to see you guys again 💕

[@cranjismcbasketball2565]

Really enjoy that John Oliver is back! I love how he isn't afraid to voice his opinion on topics like these.

[@valleking3366]

“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” -Fyodor Dostoevsky

[@joshuacoleman8000]

I like that quote.

[@jonash5320]

if someone ought to know its him

[@derPetunientopf]

@@joshuacoleman8000 Since you liked his quote you might also like his novel about the conditions in siberian prisons "The house of the Dead". He wrote it after spending four years in a forced-labour prison camp in Siberia because he was part of a progressive literary discussion group. This happened 170 years ago but his observations are timeless.

[@chris9898776]

So America’s civilization rating would be what? A high “F” maybe?

[@derPetunientopf]

​@@chris9898776 Compared to Russia, China or North Korea rather good. But compared to democratic countries i agree its an F. This student has to repeat the year until he/she/it gets a better score on the human development score.

[@MichaelHarman0711]

I worked for a company that provided health care services to jails (county/city) and prisons (state) across the country. Working there made me realize I have to consider my morals when it comes to where I work. The things I learned about there ranged from disturbing to horrifying; inmates being given warm water for chest pains, being refused care when a cell door severed their finger.... And how they operated raised a lot of questions in my mind about how it was actually legal. One co-worker who was a nurse said that the reason they got away with so much was because it was intentionally set up to make it hard for anyone to actually know what was going on.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

record that shite and expose them. they deserve to be publicly called out for their barbarism to the entire world.

[@fen4ri]

@@Echo81Rumple83 pretty sure it's a felony to bring most any modern recording devices into a prison. why? probably because of the above. technically because the prisoners are not allowed to have, for instance, a cell phone. that makes it contraband, and bringing contraband into the prison would be the crime charged to the visitor/employee(as far as i'm aware). you are correct though that it deserves to be recorded and brought to public attention, im just pointing out that its way easier said than done, since you might have to be willing to risk getting put behind bars yourself, in order to expose certain things.

[@shaynahasty8473]

I work in mental health care and work with the local jail among other crisis work and we legit had a case where the jail staff "forgot" to give one of our clients their schizophrenia medication for three months :(

[@Tree_fairy]

The hospital I work at contracts with California jails and prisons. We have a special custody unit, but when there’s too many for that small unit, they come to mine. I find most of the custody patients are so much nicer than the standard patient. They are polite and happy to be somewhere safe. I NEVER want to know why they are incarcerated. I go out of my way to never find out. So many staff judge them but I always say we have all broken the law at one point, we just weren’t caught. They were. That’s the difference.

[@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689]

Ive just moved from ED nursing to prison. Infinitely prefer dealing with prisoners than the entitled drunk white collar twats who piss on my cubicle floor or vomit over themselves and expect me to clean it up while thinking they're better than me... Obviously have also looked after some lovely people, but the entitlement of some people is staggering.

[@RabblesTheBinx]

Yes! I'm so happy to see that the WGA strikers got a good deal and we get to have John Oliver back!

[@piotrswat169]

Me too, no show hates on the whites so openly its honestly refreshing.

[@christianwendt7852]

@@piotrswat169 You're missing his points by a mile at least...

[@piotrswat169]

@@christianwendt7852 wish i was its not that obvious at first but the hate is there

[@piotrswat169]

@@christianwendt7852 listen i'm with you guys f the whites LMAO

[@sea_triscuit7980]

​@@piotrswat169don't you have a Canadian to harass?

[@Middle-AgedWhiteGuy]

As a former inmate in NJ, I personally witnessed a man have his finger cut off by an inmate tree trimming crew. They literally put his finger in a lunch box, instead of calling an ambulance, and then taking it back to the compound. It was reattached using super glue borrowed from the secretary's desk. The last time I saw that man, his finger was black, which is what they're used to discriminating against, but he was Asian. He complained of pain, and severe lethargy. They still forced him to go to work on that same crew. One day he just disappeared and nobody knows where he went. That's the last I saw or heard of him. It's appalling. This is a medium security prison, located in Annandale New Jersey. It housed people who stole things. Not murderers. Not rapists. Thieves. Like myself. The most rehabilitative of people, but as John said; for some, it's a death sentence. I'm glad you're back.

[@Anna133199]

Super glue? I'm no medical professional, but I could've predicted his finger turning black without proper circulation. Who tf comes up with glueing a bodypart like that?

[@13killa69]

​@@Anna133199people who do the best with what they have.🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Legitpenguins99]

Larry Lawton has some horror stories about prison health care. It was the first I've heard on the matter

[@tekbarrier]

@@Legitpenguins99interesting username...

[@MasterOfViewership]

glad you were okay after being there

[@clutchjustice]

Thank you John and Last Week Tonight for exposing this! I'm an advocate working with MANY people who are trapped in the system and being neglected or falling victim to malpractice. FCI Butner in particular is ghastly.

[@JustLeadershipUSA]

Thank you, John Oliver and everyone at Last Week Tonight!

[@Sarah-xt8ol]

As a nurse i appreciate all Johns segments on healthcare. They have good way of summing up complex issues inna way thats understandable. Yes. It is as bad as he says most of the time

[@rubeolamargolies6127]

The cruel joke is that healthcare works the same way outside prison - patient care is the LAST consideration in every healthcare setting in America. All care is determined by insurers and their cruel calculations to maximize their own profits. On a different note: An irony for nurses is that wherever they work, their safety is at risk and at least in jail, they have some protection from the COs!

[@katiekane5247]

I stopped renewing my RN license after 5 years in the early 90s. It was getting bad even then. It's only gotten worse. Glad I got out, made less money but kept my mind.

[@ErutaniaRose]

So glad this man is back. Honestly lifting my mental health.

[@frijofroisdeern3783]

...and free of charge

[@saxor96]

​@@JustinCase780I don't think you're one to talk, wasting yours on stuff you don't even like.

[@Seigensi]

I more watch it for the unnatural nature of an american speaking sense, even if he is English. Truly without John Oliver, america has no decent people.

[@joshemane]

Prisoners dying helps your mental health? I’m glad you enjoy the show but this upset my anxiety so much lol I watch because it’s important to know

[@stevengruner4885]

​@@joshemanejohn oliver helps his mental health

[@miserylitmedia1050]

It's gratifying to know that I'm not the only one who thinks our system of punishment is cruel and inhumane. Missed you, John! #UniversalHealthcare #HousingNotPrison #PrivatizationKills

[@sibusisiwemlala3778]

Excellent! Such empathy for people very few seem to care about!

[@SpicyGramCracker]

The 1st day my son was in prison he called and said the clinic didn’t have his heart medication. I called person after person including the warden. Thank God the warden literally said to me, “No one is going to die on my watch” and someone went to the drugstore and bought his meds until they could stock them. I hear so many stories with different outcomes. It’s just more tragedy and trauma. On a scale from 1-10 rate how awful a person who steal a car is. Now on a scale from 1-10 rate how awful a person is who abuses a sick weak addicted mentally Ill person and lets them die.

[@Lil-Britches]

Is he white?

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

Just like crap nursing homes having an advocate on the outside can make a huge difference.

[@billyshithead3139]

​​@@WindTurbineSyndromesorry for going a bit off-topic here, but I'm glad you said that; my dad's gone into assisted living & I plan to move out to his area as soon as funds permit.

[@voltjmgaming2119]

​​@@Lil-BritchesThat's not remotely the point. This is a woman's son.

[@wesleywyndam-pryce5305]

​@@voltjmgaming2119 the point is they probably wouldnt do that for a person of color.

[@oliverrose7796]

I work for my local public defender office as an admin, so I handle a lot of client phone calls but can't give legal advice. One that I'll always remember is a grandmother of someone in custody who called multiple times because her grandson was allergic to peanut butter and despite knowing this the jail kept serving him peanut butter sandwiches. This was while he was awaiting trial, and had not yet been found guilty or not guilty. John Oliver has always been great with these issues. 100% of prisoners are people, and we as a society often like to talk about the worst of the worst, not acknowledging that most of the individuals we incarcerate in this country are non-violent and/or innocent!

[@Zombie_Scholar]

When I was held for a couple weeks they kept serving me gluten despite confirming I had celiac disease. I survived by trading most of my food for more vegetables or whatever there was I could potentially eat. My fellow inmates are the only reason I'm alive and well.

[@Don.M.]

You made a great point. The general public is already “head in the sand” on so many of these societal issues, it’s like pulling teeth to get enough general empathy for people imprisoned. An unfortunate side effect of a sick society…

[@kissa3168]

The fact that he was awaiting trial is irrelevant. Whether someone is found guilty or not should not matter in the case of being served food they have an allergy to. The purpose of imprisonment is keeping people who committed crime away from the rest of society, not inflicting random torture on them while they are locked up and away.

[@bookswithatwist-vanvelzerp9262]

@@kissa3168 well, and it was also the theory to rehab any if possible so they could return to being part of society - we don't do that anymore - too many companies make money off of prisoners so they want them to stay or to come back .... :( So sad and hurts us all

[@Secret_Moon]

That should be counted as attempted murder.

[@AoptimisticNihilist]

Thank you for coming back John

[@rexcabada6615]

SO HAPPY YOU ARE BACK!!!! I missed you soooo much. How can I miss you if you don’t go away???? please do not do it again. You’re addictive.

[@theredfox_1359]

I used to work for a private staffing company hiring nurses for prisons & jails in California and Arizona and 1000% we were encouraged to pay the nurses as little as possible and to hire just about anyone who would fill out the paperwork. If a nurse needed more than two days off in the same month or if they didn't cut certain corners to get their job done faster they were fired. We were told not to hire more qualified types of nurses because they gave us worse margins. Prison guards would brag about getting prisoners they didn't like attacked and seriously injured. Fuck the for-profit healthcare system.

[@LarsaXL]

Holy fuck!...

[@far2ez]

Not to interrupt the communist circlejerk, but have you considered this is actually because the government is not willing to pay enough? Why do you think the government is trying to contract this out in the first place? Out of the kindness of their hearts? No. Because either they can't hire people to do the work (not paying enough) or because they're intentionally looking to pay under the bare minimum that they otherwise legally could have - by shelling up behind the private sector. Do you think lobbyists are the ones getting governments to do it? If so, why is only 1 company bidding in the town hall? The government must, by law, accept the cheapest contractor with a reasonable proposal. You tell me - does "$16 and some change" per human being's healthcare per year sound like a reasonable proposal to you? You can blame the private sector con artists but ultimately I'd love to go start a business in this sector offering high-quality and humane care with reasonable profit margins, but I'd never get the contract because the government is obligated to accept unrealistically cheaper bids solely because people are too lazy (and government workers so bottom-barrel) to actually verify whether a proposal is ACTUALLY reasonable. The fact that people actually think that the government is the solution to this is laughable. The government is the cause of the problem. They need to put more money into this to draw talent and margins, no matter what sector it's in. They won't do it because they've found out that inflating our cash and raising taxes are unpopular but neglecting prisoners to die behind a thin veneer of "it wasn't us - the company we paid did it" is enough for Americans to ignore the fact that the government just won't fund it.

[@laurigardner6227]

This for me highlights one of the deep seated issues in the United States. A country built in and around the method of exploitation for profit. Prison healthcare has just become another method to extract money from governments and people.

[@kerinwills]

Not just prison healthcare, the entire prison-industrial complex.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

Republicans are responsible for all of it.

[@MemoirsofaBasketcase]

@@kerinwillsThe health insurance system for law-abiding citizens.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

republicans look at public treasury as something that needs to be transferred to their pockets and the pockets of their friends and family. It is not seen as something to be used to better society but merely a pile of money that needs to be plundered. That is what drives most conservatives to public office. They want to rob the treasury. And that's all they are interested. That money!

[@SCxChubby]

Jail sucks. I was healing from open adamen surgery and i had a warrant issued when i was in the hospital. I showed the judge all my papper work but he said no excuses for missing court. He put me in jail . At least the inmates were nice. They took care of me and made sure i took my meds.I slept pretty much the whole time.

[@triciaplatek5657]

I was adrift in a sea of news stopped sudden and sullen without you, John Oliver, you are the wind beneath my wings.

[@bea4156]

Thank you writers and researchers for your amazing work!! 💚💚💚

[@bunbun20203]

The fact that kidney cancer is usually a rare but extremely treatable cancer and it killed this man is appalling. My father had kidney cancer, but it was caught early and was able to get the cancerous kidney removed. He’s been cancer free over 5 years now and if something like this happened to him I would have gone on a rampage

[@kieranjaegar]

Save that energy. This ride's just getting started.

[@LabGecko]

This ride's been going downhill for a long time now. Give the knife back to BunBun.

[@sdfkjgh]

@@LabGecko: IUnderstoodThatReference.gif

[@Lapusso650]

How was his cancer found so early?

[@BenjaminRegen]

"If someone tries to kill you, you kill em right back." - Mal

[@bezerbezer5567]

My brother died of cancer bc corizon didnt want to get him checked out. He has the same story as dean locke the guy in this story. They let him out a week early bc his cancer was stage 4. It ruptured his stomach and he almost died 2 after they rushed him to the hospital. These companies are corrupt and inhumane. People just dont care. Long live Gordo! I Miss you bro!

[@Thomas83KO]

First of all, I'm really sorry for your loss. And this rises the question, _"who are the real criminals here?!"_

[@samprada9298]

Horrible.. Lo siento mucho ❤

[@SpicyGramCracker]

So very sorry ❤ your brother deserved better.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

Republicans ruin everything

[@ThatOpalGuy]

​@@Thomas83KOrepublicans

[@maryfagundes6520]

Great reporting!

[@justmonika1]

I'm so glad to have you back, John.

[@qhunter5]

Food, healthcare, education and prisons are industries that are necessary,but should never be privatized. Once they are, the emphasis is on profit over service.

[@lindseeziegler90]

💯

[@GaldirEonai]

Add infrastructure in general to that list. Transportation, sanitation, power, communications...nothing good has ever come out of privatizing these.

[@dwilliams7377]

Gov or non-profit might be a better model

[@ghostpiratelechuck2259]

@@dwilliams7377Few prisons are still private. Problem is, gov has the same incentives. They’re a near-free workforce gov relies on.

[@JohnDoe-rl9ft]

Private is fine, but it needs to be heavily regulated.

[@livymiso]

The amount of people in the world who disregard prisoners as human beings is mind boggling. Lack of medical care should not be used as a form of punishment.

[@Thomas83KO]

Yes... This facts are convincing me, that Europe (might be Canada as well?!) is a garden Eden in regards how prisoners are being treated here.

[@KwissBeats]

It does make it harder to feel bad for him.

[@cc-cc4499]

@@Thomas83KO Garden Eden? Are Americans convinced that only in an imaginary land that people can get their needs for basic welfare met?

[@alvarny77]

In the US, not in the world...

[@crummycuzz]

@@Thomas83KO Idk, personally, it feels the same or worse, but i haven't been jailed in Canada in a very long time and i was a Minor who entered the Country illegally, so i was Probably Handled differently, but it wasn't like better, it was the same level of care from Guards, with Candian Guards having a Nicer disposition, Except that when they Ignore you, if you ask them a question, their answer is "When the Queen Comes Home".. whatever that means.. Us jail and prison is trash too, but.. it feels like saying you're Guaranteed Care is an Overstatement, You have to "Drop slips" and hope a doctor sees you, often a month or 9 later, and that's for the doctors checkup, if they say no or just give you knock off ibuprofen, they never talk to you again. You can go from checkup to checkup, each at intervals of a few months away at a time, or alot of it is passed off nurses first who are Equally dickheads and apart of the system. Our only way of "Getting around it" is expressly stating "Help, I'm in Pain", because they have to act then. I had a Surgery and I was cuffed while Knocked out, and they let a student practice on me, For me, Only the Dentists Loved what they did and give you the proper amount of anti biotics and the only pain meds is Ibuprofen, then you have to see the nurse for refills, and they just say no.

[@gordontate-ch9mv]

the researcheres on this show are the best ever keep up the great work john and guys love from ireland.

[@mrbulldobbs1553]

There a group of people in this country who thoughts tend to go to "let's take things away from people", instead of thinking, "We should make sure all Americans have this".

[@fricki1997]

What we've had so far: The hell of private healthcare, the hell of being a prisoner. What we didn't know we needed to hear about: Private healthcare providers in prison!

[@The_Infamous_Boogyman]

I served 9 years for something I didn't do, had my arm ripped off working for the states hardwood factory, and wasn't only neglected but straight up abused bc I sued the state and won and had 4 years to go. No pain meds, constant attacks from paid off inmates, abuse by officers, it was fkng horrible. Finally I'm home in my new house all that bs bought me, but I am seriously fkd up for life

[@massavanawabi-sabi4938]

I am so sorry brother, that is truly horrible. May your remaining days be filled with peace, joy and tranquility as much as possible.

[@parkerlewis9822]

Your arm was ripped off?? Jesus fucking Christ bro im so sorry. They better have paid you all the money in the world.

[@John_Smith_86]

Many criminals say they didn't do it though

[@JohnTaylor5675]

@@John_Smith_86 Yeah, and many criminals actually didn't do it, because the false conviction rate in the US is abysmally high. Studies estimate that roughly 5% of prison inmates (1 in 20) are actually innocent.

[@Kenpokid4]

​@@John_Smith_86 Most people actually in jail didn't do it, they just don't have the resources to actually prove it in court so are forced into plea deals

[@kelleycheek5142]

THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING OUT! This is NOT a popular topic, you are brave for using your voice and platform in service of those who can't speak for themselves!! Too many people are caged in this FOR PROFIT prision system!!!

[@keltyk1817]

As someone who books people into jail when an officer/deputy makes an arrest, I 1000000% agree there should be fewer people in jail.

[@beelove8542]

Always great to see my state called out. In 2018, I was a blackout alcoholic and was arrested in Arizona for noise complaints/ disorderly conduct. I was held in jail for two days before seeing a judge over a video call and being given a court date. While being held, I had multiple seizures from alcohol withdrawal, one of which caused me to fall on my face so hard that I could feel the bone under where my eyebrow had split. The COs' solution was to strap me to a board so I wouldn't fall again, and place the board over a floor drain so that I could urinate without being released.

[@berf9445]

Holy shit.

[@montamiddleton9318]

Do you still drink? That would be a wake up call for most folks.

[@dreambrother1240]

Thank you for sharing: I hope you are doing well now and being compensated for be so poorly treated.

[@miraenofficial]

Jesus fucking christ

[@thomaskilmer]

@@montamiddleton9318 If you think that's how addiction treatment works, I'm here to simply tell you that you are wrong. You should probably look up how it does work.

[@janaelena]

Great episode, welcome back!

[@SigEpBlue]

I'm struggling to think of a time that "let's privatize it" ended well for the -victims- people the idea was foisted upon.

[@yeetghostrat]

I argue a lot of PDA should be shoved into a private room. Or terrible singers should keep their hobby to the private shower.

[@imnotmike]

@@yeetghostrat Yes, but by the same token, we probably shouldn't be sharing our ridiculous opinions in youtube comments.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

money-hungry fools, that's who. and they need to be taxed or we eat them.

[@MegaLokopo]

War, private companies can't draft you yet.

[@kaliland9296]

My dad always told me that if I'm going to commit a crime, it should be a federal crime because of the amount of things you're provided with in federal prison. It's become such a running joke in my family that when my sister didn't have health insurance for a while, we're like "whelp, guess it's time to go commit crime".

[@Daniel-xg3ul]

I had a family member in federal prison, and they have terrible health car. The days of Club Fed are long over. Understaffed, over populated, infrastructure falling apart, corruption, etc.

[@erichancock6815]

After the crash of '08 & before the A.C.A., my progressive cancer was considered a "pre-existing condition" & as a single, white, childless male with a pre-existing condition in a job market flooded with applicants, I was the very last in line for any job or help from the social security safety net I had paid into heavily for the majority of the previous two decades & it did occur to me that the only solution for my lack of healthcare would be breaking the law. Seems you have to hit rock bottom to truly realize how broken this nation is.

[@reptoidrenaissance]

​@@erichancock6815Single white childless males are actually favoured in the job market. It's been shown over & over again that women get passed over for tons of jobs regardless of how qualified they are, and people get passed over by major companies & government departments for having names that are "too ethnic." The few exceptions are usually token" "diversity hires" to deflect suspicion about discriminatory hiring practices.

[@erichancock6815]

@@reptoidrenaissance The key distinction is they are healthy white males & I am not: with a pre-existing condition, especially before the A.C.A., I was hardly in the running with hundreds of applicants for each job in my field right after the crash & when it came to help from SSI or disability, being a white male puts you last in line behind women & minorities. In the age of affirmative action, "white privilege" isn't what it used to be- not by a mile & in these more culturally evolved times it seems the only demographic it is ok to discriminate against is the white male. Name one other demographic it is socially ok to discriminate against, mock or ridicule. As a defective & disfigured ginger male, I have experienced what remains of white privilege, but also see how it is ok to promote any other race or demographic except being white & male. Seems it is true about the sins of the fathers being visited on their sons.

[@jeffs7879]

The only other place where you get guaranteed health care for life is Congress. That's right, spend one session in Congress and get a pension and free healthcare for the rest of your life. That's what they gave themselves. Because we let them.

[@timgrec5588]

my new routine to watch this on my treadmill, thank you!

[@frostfang1]

My favorite thing about America is how it's legal for the government to contract out their legal responsibilities to private companies so they don't have to oversee and enforce the laws they put in place. They want to be absolved of responsibility to the people and that's how they do it.

[@ianbattles7290]

The government takes the credit when things go right. But then the government blames the private companies when things go wrong.

[@lizardguyNA]

You gonna do anything about it? Because until every current congressman dies and we get congressional term limits, we're fucked and you're part of the problem.

[@wadeking4054]

And the companies lose accountability because, at worst, they get fined, they can just fire the low-level workers, or they lose a client. They don't have to face the consequences of allowing people to die, while being able to make money in the process.

[@kentstate1244]

@@wadeking4054 And, then the company changes their name and repeats the process w/impunity.

[@Jabadamazo]

This country was bought and sold a *long* time ago. Deeply entrenched unchecked capitalism will always lead to corruption and we're seeing the late stages of that cesspool now. People's History of the United States pretty clearly lays out how America has been nothing but a corporate pawn since the 1800s.

[@aztlanstudiosllc]

My best friend is doing life in AZ, he said during COVID if they got sick their med treatment was quarantine and water. Also one of his cell mates who was suffering from schizophrenia ended up taking his own life during a mental health crisis even though he asked for medical to help him several hours before and staff just kept him in a cell alone. Also someone from our home town passed from an abscess in his mouth that medical refused to check. And through an interview I had with the head of the prison ministries of the Episcopal diocese of Arizona I learned about a woman who was strung along so much that over 15 years she went from a treatable breast cancer to a fatal stage 4 diagnosis due to lack of proper treatment. In Arizona our humane shelters are more humane than the places where our fellow human citizens and neighbors have to stay.