Robert Roseberry reached out to the Remedy Project in 2021 after being denied proper medical care for his nasal polyposis for nearly two years. Nasal polyps are typically benign and can easily be removed and treated with proper healthcare. However, due to prolonged medical neglect, Robert’s health has severely deteriorated in recent months. The Mayo Clinic warns that if nasal polyps are not treated, they “can cause complications because they block normal airflow and fluid drainage.” One such complication is obstructive sleep apnea, which Robert has reported having very severe symptoms of. Robert’s sleep apnea has gotten so bad that he told us, “every night I fear that I will die in my sleep.”
How have different prison officials responded to Robert’s worsening medical condition and his fear for his own life? By ignoring his requests for basic medical care and passing him off to the next prison. A doctor who treated Robert recommended he get surgery to remove the polyps, but he was transferred before he could schedule a procedure. This has happened six times in the past two years, with each transfer resetting his efforts to receive medical care. On average, Robert spent around four months at USP Atlanta Transit Center, FCI Coleman, Oklahoma City Transfer Center, USP Tompson and FCI Pollock before being transferred to FCI Memphis where he is currently held. From this cross-country display of utter neglect, it is clear that the BOP is content with ignoring Robert’s medical needs until they eventually become fatal, and his life becomes one less problem for them to deal with.
Robert’s untreated health issues are not only affecting him, but they also are also taking a toll on those around him. One former cellmate wrote a letter about his experience waking up every night to the sound of Robert struggling to breathe. He wrote, “I’m extremely uneasy, and almost afraid to go to sleep myself thinking that this man’s life is in my hands.” Helplessness can be painful and even debilitating, and this psychological trauma inflicted on witnesses of Robert’s suffering is yet another injustice that cannot be ignored. Prisons compound suffering.
Without treatment, Robert lives in constant limbo, just trying to catch his breath: “I struggle to breathe, especially wearing a mask, and I can’t sleep or complete daily tasks due to lack of oxygen,” he says. “I am haunted by the prospect that if I get COVID I will not survive.” If he weren’t incarcerated, Robert would have already received the surgery he desperately needs. Prison administrators and staffers, however, have ignored his pleas for proper treatment. Constant transfers have only made his battle to survive harder. “I have repeatedly sought medical assistance for my health issues and BOP healthcare providers have continuously ignored the severity of my issues and are denying me desperately needed surgery,” Robert says. “The lack of respect for human life in prison by people hired to protect and take care of incarcerated people is appalling, disheartening, and cruel and unusual.”
Robert reached out to us in June of 2023 and told us he finally had the surgery and had his polyps removed in February of 2023, 4 years after he was diagnosed. He is currently considering pursuing legal action to get compensation for his prolonged neglect. Robert’s story reveals the disgusting lack of respect for human life and denial of healthcare that is perpetuated by the BOP and its individual actors. Robert being denied healthcare has had both physical and psychological effects, as he fears for his life on a daily basis and has had to start over six times. Robert’s situation is not an isolated incident. Thousands of incarcerated individuals are denied access to basic healthcare on a daily basis, forced to suffer in silence or else face the risk of retaliation and transfer. The BOP must be held accountable for their neglect and failure to uphold the constitution, which requires all prison officials to “provide all state and federal prisoners… with adequate medical care.” Robert’s story serves as a reminder that everybody deserves dignity, and we must collectively fight to ensure that Robert and others with similar stories receive the medical care they need, deserve, and are entitled to.
Robert Roseberry reached out to the Remedy Project in 2021 after being denied proper medical care for his nasal polyposis for nearly two years. Nasal polyps are typically benign and can easily be removed and treated with proper healthcare. However, due to prolonged medical neglect, Robert’s health has severely deteriorated in recent months. The Mayo Clinic warns that if nasal polyps are not treated, they “can cause complications because they block normal airflow and fluid drainage.” One such complication is obstructive sleep apnea, which Robert has reported having very severe symptoms of. Robert’s sleep apnea has gotten so bad that he told us, “every night I fear that I will die in my sleep.”
How have different prison officials responded to Robert’s worsening medical condition and his fear for his own life? By ignoring his requests for basic medical care and passing him off to the next prison. A doctor who treated Robert recommended he get surgery to remove the polyps, but he was transferred before he could schedule a procedure. This has happened six times in the past two years, with each transfer resetting his efforts to receive medical care. On average, Robert spent around four months at USP Atlanta Transit Center, FCI Coleman, Oklahoma City Transfer Center, USP Tompson and FCI Pollock before being transferred to FCI Memphis where he is currently held. From this cross-country display of utter neglect, it is clear that the BOP is content with ignoring Robert’s medical needs until they eventually become fatal, and his life becomes one less problem for them to deal with.
Robert’s untreated health issues are not only affecting him, but they also are also taking a toll on those around him. One former cellmate wrote a letter about his experience waking up every night to the sound of Robert struggling to breathe. He wrote, “I’m extremely uneasy, and almost afraid to go to sleep myself thinking that this man’s life is in my hands.” Helplessness can be painful and even debilitating, and this psychological trauma inflicted on witnesses of Robert’s suffering is yet another injustice that cannot be ignored. Prisons compound suffering.
Without treatment, Robert lives in constant limbo, just trying to catch his breath: “I struggle to breathe, especially wearing a mask, and I can’t sleep or complete daily tasks due to lack of oxygen,” he says. “I am haunted by the prospect that if I get COVID I will not survive.” If he weren’t incarcerated, Robert would have already received the surgery he desperately needs. Prison administrators and staffers, however, have ignored his pleas for proper treatment. Constant transfers have only made his battle to survive harder. “I have repeatedly sought medical assistance for my health issues and BOP healthcare providers have continuously ignored the severity of my issues and are denying me desperately needed surgery,” Robert says. “The lack of respect for human life in prison by people hired to protect and take care of incarcerated people is appalling, disheartening, and cruel and unusual.”
Robert reached out to us in June of 2023 and told us he finally had the surgery and had his polyps removed in February of 2023, 4 years after he was diagnosed. He is currently considering pursuing legal action to get compensation for his prolonged neglect. Robert’s story reveals the disgusting lack of respect for human life and denial of healthcare that is perpetuated by the BOP and its individual actors. Robert being denied healthcare has had both physical and psychological effects, as he fears for his life on a daily basis and has had to start over six times. Robert’s situation is not an isolated incident. Thousands of incarcerated individuals are denied access to basic healthcare on a daily basis, forced to suffer in silence or else face the risk of retaliation and transfer. The BOP must be held accountable for their neglect and failure to uphold the constitution, which requires all prison officials to “provide all state and federal prisoners… with adequate medical care.” Robert’s story serves as a reminder that everybody deserves dignity, and we must collectively fight to ensure that Robert and others with similar stories receive the medical care they need, deserve, and are entitled to.
