A group of hearing-impaired prisoners are suing the Illinois Department of Corrections, claiming the agency has discriminated against them by refusing to provide interpreters, technological assistance and other alternate forms of communication.
The prisoners cannot hear fire alarms and other safety alerts and orders, forcing them to depend on other inmates, according to the federal class action lawsuit filed on Wednesday in Chicago.
In some cases, prisoners say they have missed meals and visitors because they could not hear announcements.
In other instances, they say they have been unable to communicate vital health information to prison staff and have been forced to rely on writing notes to prison counselors, though many are only fluent in sign language and have a hard time understanding written English.
Read more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-deaf-inmates-sue-for-more-access-to-interpreters-20110504,0,812859.story
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
