Incarcerated Man Deplores the Lack of Dental Care in Minnesota Prison
A Native American man, Keith Crow, who is incarcerated at Rush City Prison in Rush City, Minnesota, recently wrote an opinion piece decrying the lack of dental care. Despite constitutional mandates for medical care, inmates are left grappling with decaying teeth and abscesses without recourse to proper treatment. When Crow sought dental care at the health services office in the prison, he was treated by a dental assistant who explained that the institution had not had a dentist on staff in more than 3 years. She advised him to seek Tribal funding for dental care outside of the prison. Crow’s personal plight exemplifies the larger issue: trapped between federal regulations and geographical limitations, accessing dental care becomes a logistical nightmare. In seeking solutions, the inmate suggests radical measures, including potential legal recourse and even transferring to another facility for dental appointments. The author’s closing question — whether they’re ensnared in a twisted reality akin to the Twilight Zone — poignantly encapsulates the surreal nature of their predicament and the urgent need for systemic reform within the prison system. Click here to read more.
