Medical treatment

When you first check into the jail, you'll be asked if you want to go to Medical and have a cursory physical exam.  Many people turn this down, but I think it's a good idea.  They may uncover something that needs attention, like high blood pressure.  Also, any excuse to get out of your dorm is worth it.

You'll also go to Medical for a TB skin test if you apply to work at the jail.  In case you've never had one: they inject a small amount of bacterium protein just under your skin.  A couple of days later, they call you back to interpret the results.  A negative result will be a reddish area smaller than a mosquito bite.  A positive result will be a much larger red area.  

If you have the flu or some other malady, you can ask to be taken to Medical.  They may charge you $25 for the visit -- and for each visit where you see a dentist or nurse practitioner.  They can prescribe medicines if need be.  (Interestingly, the bottles say "May be refilled until 12/15/nn" which is probably a lot longer than you could refill most scripts from a regular doctor.)

When you go to Medical, you'll usually be part of a batch of prisoners marched together to sick bay.  They will put you in a waiting room with concrete benches.  Don't get into a loud conversation in the holding cell; the guard for this area is hypersensitive to noise, and will punish you by putting you in a holding cell until the end of his shift.

If you have a medical emergency, you'll be taken to the hospital, treated, and when you're better, brought back to jail.  I met one inmate who had a heart pacemaker installed during his stay.  Your emergency has to be pretty severe.  One roommate was in excruciating pain due to an abcessed tooth.  The guards, noting that he was due to be released in 2 days, and this was a Saturday night, gave him some Tylenol and told him to tough it out.

There are times when you and your fellow inmates may demand that a fellow inmate go to Medical.  At one point we had a dude who had pustles all over his back, and one of us found him popping these boils in the bathroom.  We told him, and the guards, that he needed to go to Medical.  They took him and advised that he stop the popping.