Corizon Health agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging it failed to provide a Florida prisoner with medication for his heart and blood pressure. He also alleged that he was not provided postoperative dental care or treatment for glaucoma.

Henry Washington was described as “a frail and elderly prisoner who relies on a wheelchair” and who suffers from “multiple disabilities and chronic medical conditions, including paralysis, a pacemaker, and glaucoma.”

In 2012, the Suwannee Annex prisoner was subjected to an alleged excessive use of force by guard Leonard Myers. After that incident, “Washington found it hard to get health care.” He alleged medical passes were taken away from him, that staff falsely witnessed “refusal of care” forms, and was told by Corizon staff to get over his pain.

Represented by Tallahassee attorney James V. Cook, Washington filed a civil rights complaint on September 22, 2016, in federal court. As to Corizon, he alleged deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs. On March 19, 2018, Washington accepted the $50,000 settlement to resolve his claims against Corizon. The lawsuit remained pending against the Florida Department of Corrections and several guards for excessive force and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. See: Washington v. Jones, USDC, N.D. Florida, Case No. 4:16-cv-592

Related legal case