Dear Sen. Crapo:

    Karla Fuller, a long time resident of Harpster Idaho, was sent to the U.S. BOP after a drug related conviction in Wyoming. She completed all requirements for an early release in February 2008, which should have been honored by BOP–but was not. The basis for her early release in February 2008 is that while incarcerated she completed her GED, attended the drug program until she became sick with cancer. She was a model prisoner with good behavior as a first time offender entitled to have her sentence reduced by one-quarter, under the new law.

    She is now suffering horrible and unrelenting pain at this time due to cancer developed while in prison. Now she is being denied treatment and palliation. If the Government had kept its word she would be a free woman at this time.

    Private sources would not deny or delay the life saving and pain mitigating help from radiation and chemo-therapy needed to stop the pain, shrink the tumor on her brain stem and give her the chance for remission.  At this point, due to the neglect of the medical program at BOP FMC Carswell, Karla Fuller is in the process of dying because of lack of treatment of a fast growing tumor causing spasms, seizures with black outs, paralysis and tormenting pain.

    She is requesting a compassionate release under series 6000 of the BOP Policy/Forms and specifically Patient Care - 6031.01 pages 32-34. Apparently there was a bureaucratic failure to update her records by the BOP as to her accomplishments set forth above which would have allowed her to be released in February 2008.

    She remains imprisoned today suffering from this life threatening medical condition that likely will take her life if she does not receive immediate treatment. Doctors at the BOP have diagnosed her with a fast growing tumor of the brain stem, which requires immediate radiation and chemo therapy for control of pain and paralytic symptoms.  That treatment was scheduled to begin in mid-December then rescheduled to “after Christmas” then rescheduled to “after the First of the year” and now supposedly will take place in February 2009.

    The bureaucrats at the BOP have denied her access to effective treatment by repeatedly postponing that treatment. With the multiple rescheduling of radiation treatment it is apparent that her February 2009 date is just more lip service and is unacceptable. It’s likely she will be dead, or the tumor will have progressed to the point that it will be untreatable and irreversible by February. The BOP is simply waiting for her to die or for her cancer condition to become so advanced that no treatment would be effective thus justifying their inhumane decision to deny treatment.

   There is strong evidence that employees at the FMC Carswell are being vindictive and retaliating against her when she makes requests for help, which started after she signed the authorization and release of medical information to your office, Sen. Crapo. Her only offense is that she is asking for the treatment that she was promised. When trying to eat, food gets stuck in her throat; and swallowing produces a gag response which induces more muscle spasms.  Spasms are now spread out over her entire body and are only 10 minutes apart. She now is in continual and chronic pain all of the time.

    Because of the Oxycodone [an opioid analgesic medication] her throat swells and she is unable to swallow food as mentioned above. If she tries to swallow when it won't go down her esophagus she is put at risk of aspirating food into her lungs or choking to death.  The lack of food causes her to be nauseous–constantly. There are meds to treat both the nausea and anxiety, but they won't giver her any of these meds. Authorities just taunt and threaten her with the “box” [solitary confinement] and literally laugh at her.

    When she arrived in FMC Carswell there was no doctor to write any orders over the weekend, and the pain started to get out of control.  Once out of control the spasms and seizures have been rampant, and no adequate medications have been given to her to try and mitigate the problem.
The abuses of Karla by the BOP amount to a form of torture.  We cannot believe that in America a person suffering such incredible pain from a medical condition would also have to endure the humiliation and tormenting as explained above.

    [At the prison in California where she was housed (Victorville) she had been exposed to contaminated water. The movie about Erin Brochovich was based on this town and its water system. Her prison was across the street from the town that was closed down by that cancer producing water. Karla was given no adequate protection from the water, and apparently the cancer she now has was induced by that exposure–Brain cancer leukemia and birth defects were common from the Victorville water.]