Diabetes in jail or prison

Type 1 and LADA
#1

Texas Jail Nurse Allows Woman to Die in Diabetic Coma; Refuses Blood Sugar Test https://newsmaven.io/pinacnews/police-brutality/texas-jail-nurse-allows-woman-to-die-in-diabetic-coma-refuses-blood-sugar-test-YV6PGLEVrkmTu_NkSoD04A/

I am posting this not because I plan on committing crime but lets be real America has degenerated into a police state and especially for a male arrest is always a risk.

I went with a friend who was fired from the city unjustly to a town hall meeting. When we were leaving the police showed up because the man who fired him filed a false report of aggressive action at the meeting of some sort.

Anyway when we were leaving we were stopped by the police and I did not have my glucose tablets and I was terrified, what if for some reason I got arrested ? What if the false report included me ?

In jail would I get Lantus or is that to expensive ? Would the stress of the ordeal raise my blood sugar or burn it off faster ? All these questions raced through my head.

This was very scary.

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Diabetes police and diabetes criminals
#2

Welcome to Tud @IgotT1, glad you’ve joined us.

And yes, that’s kind of a scary topic and not one I can totally dismiss from my own concerns, in spite of the fact that I’m certainly not aware of anything I’m doing that could land me in that situation. At any rate, there have been a couple of threads on it here over the years (if interested, use the search feature at upper right). The one general takeaway I have from looking at a few of those is that treatment for T1 in jail or prison is abysmally awful. Basically you’re subject to the same strictures for any other medication, as in dispensed once per day, syringes are obviously problematic, etc etc etc. Very much to be avoided!

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#3

This really is scary, what if I get a ticket and mail it in just pay it but the person at the DMV doesn’t enter it as paid and I get pulled over again and get taken in ??

I guess the thing to do is if I am ever approached by police or they get behind me car is to eat my whole sleeve of sugar tablets because its a low that will kill me. 10 tablets is only 50 grams. More would likely be better. I try to keep my sugar below 120 so I can eat without humalog

#4

Looks like a political statement framed as an issue with diabetics and prisons. I hope this gets removed.

Very political. Please don’t extend this thread.

#5

Listen I have been in jail, overnight, always r.o.r. eventually, but there’s no priority for you once you’re behind the bars. You will even be told to your face you don’t matter and well you shouldn’t have ended up here. While the guard sits at his desk and watches his mini-tv yeah you could be dying. And he really wouldn’t care. Not one bit. So look here’s the situation. It’s not difficult to understand the law ok. It’s when we don’t understand what we think and our actions that we make mistakes. We’re all capable of it. In jail, think about it, you’re obviously going to be stressed. Blood sugars go higher with stress. You’re obviously not going to be on schedule. No way. You will get a one slice bologna sandwich and a carton of spoiled milk. That’s it. Ok. The only reason, that I even got help when I was in jail, was because the guys in the cell with me started yelling and continuously calling the guards saying that I was sick. And I was. But they wouldn’t listen to me when I was trying to tell them. I was going through dka. And it was still a wait. Eventually paramedics came to the cell and took me to the hospital where they treated me for dka. But I was still under arrest. It was not overall one of my memorable experiences. And it was not worth going through no matter what. Whatever got me in that cell, I could have avoided. That’s the point. You can’t rely on others to take care of you. You must do it yourself. It’s very hard to take care of yourself in jail. That’s all I’ll say. That’s too bad about that girl, she shouldn’t have died. I’m glad the nurse was charged because it was her responsibility and it is her job. All nurses know their priorities with their job. This one didn’t and she shouldn’t be a nurse for that reason. R.I.P.

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#6

So high sugar was more of an issue. I am still new at this under a year do my 20 lantus plus humalog sliding scale and one night I fell asleep no lantus checked sugar in the morning it was 105. Ok then the best plan I came up with is just don’t eat and surprisingly I had normal sugar all day until I had a sub sandwich about and quickly found myself at 285 ate all that bread. that was 7pm took the lantus early.

I am still curious if they would give me my normal insulin or the walmart kind I never took before. I am not a paranoid person thinking police are out to get me but that situation at town hall came out of no place. Was not looking or expecting trouble. I kind of did not believe the friend I went with that the guy that fired him was such a jerk thought he was just mad about being fired.

I am not a paranoid person but I think it is worth thinking about having a plan in case of a false arrest. For non diabetics its just a hassle, we could die. I have no idea how I react to anything but lantus and humalog what if they stick me with something new and dictate the amount ??

I guess memorize my phone and credit card numbers so I could get out asap.

Now I am questioning am I paranoid ? I tell myself no cause again situations happen at random like the one that made me think of this

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#8

Yes high sugar was the problem always with me in jail, lol, always meaning the two times. Anyways, thing about low sugars which is why I don’t worry about them as much as high sugars is because they kind of don’t get worse most of the time. You eat just a little food to stabilize a low sugar. And they really won’t make you pass out unless you’re sleeping or you have taken way too much insulin and not eaten nearly enough. That’s just my opinion, but I worry about high sugars much more. Because they cannot go away. They will just get worse and worse automatically. I can walk around with a sugar of 30-50 and feel pretty ok, but I can’t do it with a sugar of 300-400. Anyways, just my opinion.
But no you are not being paranoid. It is a very real and serious concern. Also, for the situation you presented it doesn’t seem like you would be locked up for months, you most likely would be released. Problems occur with arrests when the person getting arrested makes it worse for himself, such as additional charges on top of the arrest. Resisting arrest assaulting a police officer. Then you have real problems. It’s also true that police officers will perceive someone with a serious low blood sugar reaction as someone who is intoxicated. And well then you might have problems too. That happened to me once. Bunch of cops made a circle around me and started throwing punches telling me to shut up and stay down. But they weren’t too rough. Eventually it came to pass that I was diabetic and there were no charges filed. I grabbed a can of Pepsi from a cart and was drinking the Pepsi instead of listening to the cops. I was worried. And and I know that once you get handcuffed well you wait. You gotta listen to cops, they don’t like to talk they like to arrest. But you were not getting arrested for assault. Someone made a complaint about you or your friend but where is the proof. You see what I’m saying. Anyways no I don’t think you’re being paranoid at all. It’s actually very smart of you to be concerned. They did not give me insulin or check my sugar at all in the ‘tombs’ as they’re called, but again I was only there overnight. It’s like central booking it’s not actual prison. Typically I would just wait it out. I mean I do know lawyers. I would never get taken upstate. But in that one case, it was a problem, I was throwing up, I was very sick. The guys in the cell thought I was dying. So the paramedics took me to the hospital where the hospital staff treated me. In actual prison though it would be different I’m sure. Central booking is different they don’t administer any medicine in central booking that I know of. You just sit there and wait to see a judge. You’d have to go to the hospital still in handcuffs of course.

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#9

High sugar was also the problem for that young girl. See what I’m saying. High sugars are terrible. They’re just terrible.

#10

Political or not it’s true - the criminal justice system and the police are nothing but paid thugs

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#11

I must admit that having an insulin dependent diabetes diagnosis has probably led me to add additional consideration to the thought processes that could have ever potentially led to my being incarcerated… that and just getting older and wiser… I think the chances of me spending any time in jail are very minimal…

#12

Who is the famous diabetic body builder who got arrested in the airport becuase they mistook a hypo for being drunk ?

You wait, I know, been though it but pre diabetes. Thats what raced through my head that would be it, die of a hypo in the back of the “bus”

And you know what I don’t care if that one poster thinks this is too “political” dude doesnt need to read this thread.

I am also an AA member, what if I a riding in car with newcomer lying about being sober that has some pills on him/her and they end up on the floor cause we are getting pulled over and we all get taken in ? What if what if what if… What if I am texting on my phone in a store and step on somes foot who is wearing flip flops and they punch me in the face and I defend myself and we both get taken in ? What if what if ?? This is real.

#13

Listen say what you want about cops without them this country would be in chaos, and gangs would be running all over everything. It’s true. Sometimes cops act hasty, they have to. They do not have an easy job. And their lives are in danger every night. I have no sympathy for hardened criminals. None.

#14

Yeah man it’s real. Which is why you need to know the law and obey it. Or at the very best, pretend like you are. There is nothing wrong with a smile on your face. Lol. But my days of breaking any laws are long over. I used to shoplift as a kid. Used to smoke a little weed. I did get into a pretty bad fight once, and did almost get charged with 2nd degree attempted manslaughter , but the charges were dropped, because the other side did not tell the whole story and when I told the whole story well the situation changed and the charges were dropped. It helps a lot with law enforcement when you’re aware of right and wrong. It helps a lot when you’re able to talk according to the law. It also helps a lot when you don’t have a history of committing acts of crime. Anyways , it seems as if I’m telling you my life story like we know each other lol.

#15

I already DKA in jail. Problem is I did not know I had diabetes and was loosing my mind and broke a window got taken in. DKA I guess had started peeing all the time irratable beyond what I thought possible.

Locked in medical for a week before getting out and given risperdal lucky my death not in the papers.

Got my diagnosis few weeks later had it all backwards I am peeing cause I am drinking too much liquid plus going blind I was so messed up.

I still have the charge, time for me to get honest I want to know what they do to you in jail cause I am not guilty of “criminal mischief” breaking that window I was sick and out of my mind I will not take plea bargain I want jury 12 people.

#16

The town hall thing did happen too. but I do have that other reason to want to know will I get lantus.

Not “criminal mischief” my face felt all hot my mind felt messed up like to many fumes from paint and that happened. I bugged out and smashed a window.

#17

I lived a week of hell in that medical section hallusinating DKA and the state not happy its vengence on me not enough want ‘criminal mishief’ on my record too, NO.

#18

Have you been coerced to take this plea ?? Ya I have diabetes and if I loose the trial I might die in jail.

If I loose I could get 30 days. I was so messed up peeing and irritable, crazy thats why that happened not “criminal mischief”

#19

Risperdal or risperidone is actually contraindicated for diabetes. It is not recommended that diabetics take that. I can not give the reason why but I did have a psychiatrist tell me about that medicine specifically. Don’t take that medicine in the future.

#20

Pay the fine, pay the damages, do community service, apologize, it will not happen again. Work to get out of it. I believe it’s possible. That’s a small charge. You think they’d give you 30 days for that. Perhaps just explain it was an accident and you’re very sorry. I would at least try that.

#21

Danm that was scary when that jerk made the false report on my buddy. I still had the PTSD from the window and week in that hell beyond description sick in their death hole thought it was happening again.

Oh well I am going to see if I can find some body building threads here. When I first found online that T1s can be Olympic athletes and body building champs I came out of my diagnoses depression. Been doing ok the gym my diet.

OK I have an edit. Reached max replies first day.

I don’t want to plead guity. The hurt me enough.

Probation 6 moths go to hell I was sick you people alost killed me “medical care” call it even SOBs want fines and money I hate them.

I do wrong I pay they do wrong its aways ok. F them take my chances with death survived the first time thast death hole.

!!! Edit !
Any Way Max replies thats it for today

OK one more edit.

I have to settle for a record was the last offer. I said I want trial and the lawyer has not called in months., I guess they want to keep my bail money its a stalemate I guess.

They said they gave me visteral it was that awful risperdal I found out last day

OK very last edit.

If anyone reads this I want to know do they give you lantus in jail ?

The random chance of arrest is always a threat but if I loose this trial I will be prepared. I don’t want try new insulin in jail.

Maybe I am stupid stubborn person paying lawyers demanding trial but I am consumed with hate they way that I was treated. 12 jurors I want that.