Following a federal lawsuit alleging inmates at a Mississippi prison were exposed to dangerous chemicals, leading to some developing late-stage cancer, Mississippi lawmakers are considering legislation requiring state prisons to provide inmates on work assignments with protective gear. The proposed legislation, inspired by the story of Susan Balfour, a former inmate who developed terminal breast cancer after cleaning the facility without protective equipment, would ensure that if an inmate uses raw cleaning chemicals, prison officials must provide them with protective equipment such as face masks, gloves, protective helmets, and eye protection.
Susie Annie Balfour, middle right, stands Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, on the steps of the Jackson federal courthouse. She is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed against past and present health care contractors for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. In it, she alleges prison medical providers failed to diagnose and treat her, which allowed her cancer to progress to Stage 4.
Susan Balfour, 63, was incarcerated for 33 years at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility until her release in December 2021. Balfour said she was among a group of prisoners asked to clean the facility without protective equipment. “I’m grateful that state lawmakers have acknowledged this injustice,” Balfour said in a written statement. “Forcing women to work with raw chemicals and cleaning supplies without protective equipment is hazardous and deeply problematic. If successful, this effort will help prevent others from enduring what many have suffered at the hands of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.”
Balfour was initially convicted of murdering a police officer and sentenced to death, but that conviction was later reversed in 1992 after the Mississippi Supreme Court found her constitutional rights had been violated during her trial. She later reached a plea agreement on a lesser charge, her attorney said.
Gibbs hopes to introduce legislation in the future that provides stronger guarantees that inmates receive timely medical care.
INMATES PRISON CHEMICAL EXPOSURES HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
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