City Jail Detainees Missed 8K Medical Appointments In February: Data

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers detained in city jails missed more than 8,000 medical appointments in February, new data shows.

The number of missed medical appointments jumped by nearly 1,600 in comparison to January and in spite of a December court order mandating the Department of Corrections fix the problem, according to data released by public defenders Monday.

“The Department of Correction continues to deprive incarcerated people of their right to access medical care,” the Legal Aid Society said in a statement. “This failure results in daily suffering, sickness, and pain.”

The Department of Corrections blamed detainees’ refusals to attend appointments for 6,311 of the missed medical visits, according to recent reports and a spokesperson.

“Non-production of clinic appointments varies from month to month, depending in large part on individuals in custody who have the right to refuse treatment and appointments,” the spokesperson said.

“We are committed to ensuring that everyone in our custody has access to quality medical care.”

Legal Aid challenged this characterization, arguing many inmates are not informed of appointments or provided transport.

“A review of medical records, statements from incarcerated people, and even a review of DOC’s own data shows the dubiousness of that claim,” a Legal Aid spokesperson said.

“In 3,254 of the reported refusals, DOC admits it cannot provide any explanation for the person refusing. It may be the case that many of these individuals were never even told of their appointment.”

February’s increase in missed appointments came two months after a Bronx Supreme Court Justice ordered the Department of Corrections to address the problem, which she blamed on the agency’s failure to provide access to medical care.

The ruling did little to prevent missed medical appointments which tallied at more than 7,000 in December and 6,792 in January, according to the data.

Ada Pressley, DOC’s bureau chief of facility operations, said in a February affidavit said staff shortages were to blame.