CPAP in prison

No, I'm not going to prison (as far as I know), but seeing the thread about CPAP in nursing homes made me wonder about prisoners with sleep apnea. I'd guess that prisons would have to allow the inmates access to medically necessary devices, but I can also imagine that CPAP machines might have some pretty devious alternative uses. Anybody out there with knowledge on this subject?

floboots wrote:No, I'm not going to prison (as far as I know), but seeing the thread about CPAP in nursing homes made me wonder about prisoners with sleep apnea. I'd guess that prisons would have to allow the inmates access to medically necessary devices, but I can also imagine that CPAP machines might have some pretty devious alternative uses. Anybody out there with knowledge on this subject?

Given how prisoners are notorious for using everyday items to make weapons... I too would be curious as to whether CPAP machines would be allowed in cells or whether those CPAP prisoners would be isolated and housed somewhere special.

Those machines would provide enough material to make quite a few weapons as well as providing a hiding place for contraband.

While I can't answer the question as far as how they specifically deal with it, I can tell you that I've delivered loaner CPAP/AutoPAP equipment (And Oxygen and other gear) to patients in a couple of different prisons when they've been arrested.

So somehow or another at least those places had some sort of way to deal with it.

mattman

Here's the chatter over at prisontalk.com:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&clie ... afe=images

Maybe they keep the machine on the outside of the bars and run the hose through the bars?

OutaSync wrote:Maybe they keep the machine on the outside of the bars and run the hose through the bars?

Or require that all machine parts are made of something soft and safe ...like Silly Putty.

Nah. That would be... Silly.

The PrisonTalk forum seems to suggest you can't bring your OWN machine, but would be issued one by "Medical", with a probable delay of several nights. (Hey, if they made prison easy, EVERYONE would go there...)

If "the Man" provides one, it will likely be sealed-up, tamper-evident and possibly bolted down.

But I don't plan on EVER going to prison again!

When I was a prison guard ( I know, Montana User knows it all. But I did a stretch of law enforcement for a while. 6 years as reserve deputy, 1 year prison guard, 2 years as juvenile detention guard) the ones who had a CPAP were not allowed to have a cell mate. It was inspected twice sometimes three times daily for any abuse, or missing parts. The one thing that I really learned working there is, they are people too who made a mistake. Out of the 500 inmates only a handful were what I call "bad" ( murder,rapist,etc) The rest were bad checks, stealing cause they were hungry,etc. Inmates did not abuse their CPAPs. They did not enjoy being tired during the day just like you and I do not enjoy it.

It was a private prison here in Montana, so not sure what the Montana State Prison does.

Thanks for the "inside" information, Montana User. I imagine that well-rested, healthier inmates would create a much better atmosphere for prisoners and guards alike.

I have first hand knowledge! Nope, I've not been an inmate, however I've serviced an inmate in an Ohio state prison. He had his machine that we had provided before incarcerated. He did say he had to have it inspected, however the machine was in horrible condition like it hadn't been cleaned in the two years he'd been there. (He'd been MIA, now we know why). Anyhow, his water chamber was crusted over so they wouldn't give him distilled H2O.

-SWS wrote:Here's the chatter over at prisontalk.com:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&clie ... afe=images

thanks for the posting this link.
it's an aspect of prison I hadn't considered before.

Perhaps there is a way we can link this thread with the one about whether it's legal to change one's own settings. That way, those who are contemplating the potentially illegal behavior of changing their own settings can think very seriously about whether they want to take the chance of being imprisoned without their CPAP.