“Taxpayers have footed a £1 million compensation bill after almost 200 drug-addicted prisoners sued the Government, claiming that denying them a heroin substitute breached their human rights. The prisoners claimed that their rights were infringed when they were deprived of methadone and had to go ‘cold turkey’.” (Richard Ford, Times Online, Apr. 18).
U.K.: “Inmates win ‘cold turkey’ payout”
“Taxpayers have footed a £1 million compensation bill after almost 200 drug-addicted prisoners sued the Government, claiming that denying them a heroin substitute breached their human rights. The prisoners claimed that their rights were infringed when they were deprived of methadone and had to go ‘cold turkey’.” (Richard Ford, Times Online, Apr. 18).
5 Comments
A no brainer really, I’m pretty sure there is even a constitutional right to get heroin, 44th amendment or something (I’m not a constitutional scholar but I’m sure its in there).
This really is a no brainer, under the 8th amendment. Refusing methadone or some other appropriate treatment is failure to provide medical care and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The fact that these inmates are the authors of their own problems in having become addicted to an illegal drug does not justify putting them through hell.
This really is a no brainer, under the 8th amendment.
A small clarification – this was not a Constitutional issue, but one settled on “Articles 3 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
That being said….
Refusing methadone or some other appropriate treatment is failure to provide medical care
Many people would disagree with that. Going “cold turkey” has long been a recognized method of withdrawl from heroin addiction. There is no evidence that they were denied any type of medical treatment. The claim is basically that they were denied the treatment of their choosing, which is a totally different thing.
However, along the thrust of this blog, the inmates received approximately 750K of the 1 million payout.
The other 250K?
Guess where that went?
Thanks for pointer Gitarcarver. I was perusing the Articles of European Convention on Human Rights and I’ll be damned but getting high on smack is a human right. It was in section 14, after the right to go on 2 day coke and whore bender and before the right to the pursuit of the player life style. It’s like they are channeling John Locke. Good stuff.
200 drug addicted prisoners!!!
And they say USA is the frivolous lawsuit capital of the world. The 250K we know in whose pockets.