This is in regard to the article about prescription medications that inmates take while in the Rio Arriba County jail. I am a former officer/supervisor who worked for five years at the center and let me say that I do not agree with the way this whole problem is blamed on the staff.
Mr. Candelaria and his staff do not “depend on those drugs to do their jobs for them” nor do they “allow such a problem to get out of control due to negligence.” Their jobs are hard enough as it is without having to bear the blame for liberal laws that cater to an inmate’s every desire. The staff does not want those dangerous and highly valued drugs in their facility, but they have no choice.
Inmates will always find a way to make their stay as easy as possible, and when they request medical attention for any reason the staff has to respond. The staff cannot tell a board certified doctor what he or she should prescribe, therefore how are they to blame? Society is quick to judge in all situations, but please do not blame until you have walked a tier in our shoes.
Michael Trujillo
Aztec