TO READ A BOOK WOULD BE HEAVEN - PLEASE HELP BOBBY OHLER SEE - Government - http://maxpages.com/lifemeanslife/To_Read_A_Book_Would_Be

In 1995, Bobby Ohler, ADC #110614 was confined in the Carroll County Jail, in Berryville, Arkansas. He had worn eyeglasses for a serious sight deficiency since he was about 7 years old, but corrective lenses fairly restored his vision to about 40/20.

While he was in the county jail, Bobby was never allowed to go outside in the fresh air or into natural lighting. For over two years, his already poor vision suffered under the alternating horrible glare and almost complete lack of light in his cell, and his prescription glasses were soon all but useless . The constant irritation and strain caused his condition to accelerate.

After Bobby was convicted he continued to lodge complaints with the jailers about his eyes, and to request an eye exam and new glasses. His vision had deteriorated to the point where he could not even read a book or a letter from home even with his “coke bottle” glasses. After ignoring several of his requests, the jailers finally told him that he would be transported to prison soon, and he could then have the state take care of his problem.

After Bobby arrived in the ADC Diagnostic Unit (known as The Cemetery), in early 1997, he immediately requested that he be given an eye examination and new glasses. The medical staff at The Cemetery medical staff would do nothing to help him. They told him that he would soon be transferred to the Cummins Unit where they would take care of him. This, in itself is disgusting, since virtually all Cummins prisoners are transported to The Cemetery for eye exams, so why then did they not take care of the matter while Bobby was already there?

As soon as he arrived at the Cummins Unit, Bobby submitted a sick call request slip requesting to be seen by an eye doctor. A nurse called him to the Infirmary, but after noting that Bobby already had eyeglasses, she told him that there was nothing that would be done, despite the fact that Bobby told her his current eyeglasses were completely useless to him. All they did at this point was to refract the light well enough to allow him to walk about without bumping into anything.

In October, Bobby’s glasses were stolen in the barracks where he lived. This kind of theft is a common problem because the predator inmates know that stealing someone’s eyeglasses debilitates them and leaves them vulnerable to be taken advantage of.

After his glasses were stolen and Bobby was no longer even able to walk safely around, the Infirmary finally sent him to an optometrist in Pine Bluff. However, when the doctor examined him he found Bobby’s eyesight so degenerated that the most focused setting on the machine would not allow him to read any of the letters on the eye charts, either for nearsightedness or farsightedness. Consequently, the examiner informed him that he could not provide eyeglasses because he did not know how to correct the vision that was not on a scale of his machines.

A couple of weeks after Bobby was returned to the Cummins Unit, he was called to the Infirmary and was given a pair of extremely thick glasses. At first he thought it was a mistake, since the doctor had told him he could not make any glasses for him that would do any good, but apparently the doctor had simply prepared this pair so that he could at least see well enough to walk around again.

The glasses worked well enough in the beginning to allow Bobby to even read a few lines of a book or magazine at times, for short periods of time. Because he seemed to have such a hunger for reading material, I had made arrangements with Bobby to get all of the new magazines and newspapers which the prison Long Line Writer newspaper received each week, and he could then read them at his leisure and return them by slipping them under the door of the Long Line Writer office.

By early 1998 Bobby’s eyesight had worsened still more, and before long he could once again not even read a few lines of the materials he enjoyed so much. The Infirmary would not do anything for him because he had obtained his new glasses less than two years before, and he would simply have to make do with what he had.

After going through the grief of not being able even to read his letters from home for some months, Bobby began to file grievances and eventually asked his mother to please help. She thereafter persisted with her complaints to various prison officials until they finally agreed to have Bobby’s eyes examined again.

In April 1999, Bobby was finally taken to an opthmologist in Little Rock, where he was informed that one his eyes would need a replacement of the cornea, while the other could probably be corrected through laser surgery. Now, In August 1999, Bobby still cannot read a book or magazine nor read and answer his mail from hone. The health care provider has repeatedly told him that although the optomotrist’s report has been received and surgery is recommended, the CMS “Board” must now vote on whether to provide this needed health care.

Unless someone intercedes on Bobby’s behalf he will probably never get the surgery and his sight will degenerate to the point where even surgery cannot correct it. It is a favorite ploy of CMS, who contracts with the state of Arkansas to provide health care to inmates to endlessly protract the decision whereby it is decided whether or not even life-saving medical care will be provided to anyone until it’s too late, or they simply conclude that the care is not needed.

Please tell the Governor of Arkansas what you think about the prison system’s barbaric failure to provide adequate medical care to inmates and demand that Bobby Ohler be provided the surgery he needs. Without his eyesight, Bobby will have more problems than not being able to read; he will become as a lamb amid a wolf pack and could very well lose his very life.

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Page Updated Sun Dec 5, 1999 7:25pm EST