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Prison Hospital Action Committee work commendable
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I want to congratulate the Prison Hospital Action Committee for its excellent work in building a strong grass-roots campaign against a planned prison hospital near Camarillo. Its July 24 meeting at the Sterling Hills Country Club, which I had the privilege to attend, was an excellent example of what civic-minded citizens can do when confronted with a major problem that threatens our county.
The federal prison healthcare receiver wants to replace the current juvenile prison in Camarillo with a prison hospital once the remaining 150 girls in that facility are incarcerated in county facilities elsewhere. The prison hospital would be built to provide 1,500 hospital beds.
Many people may think this is a local Camarillo problem. But it is not. It is a problem for all of Ventura County for many reasons. Three key reasons are:
— The staffing for such a large hospital would draw away scarce medical staff from other health facilities in the county. Thus, it could decrease the quality of healthcare for all of Ventura County.
— The hospital would place additional demands on local law-enforcement agencies, especially when prison patients would have to be transported to and from other medical facilities in the county for special treatment.
— The hospital would place an additional burden on the local infrastructure, especially adding further traffic to the frequently congested Highway 101.
There must be other locations in California that are better-suited as a potential site for a new prison hospital. I therefore urge all Ventura County residents to support the Prison Hospital Action Committee in its commendable efforts to halt this project.
— Ferial Masry of Newbury Park is the Democratic candidate for the 37th Assembly District.
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