Nursing home background-check bill sees strong opposition
A bill that would require long-term care facilities to check if prospective residents have a criminal history or are on the sex offender registry before they are admitted drew some heated opposition Wednesday from organizations representing providers and an advocate for abolishing the sex offender registry.
At one point, Anwar and Cindy Prizio, executive director One Standard of Justice, an advocate for restorative justice practices and a critic of the sex offender registry, got into a heated argument about the bill after she called it “a public policy disaster in the making” during her testimony.
“Please don’t allow one sensational crime to turn good intentions into bad policy,” Prizio said. “We all want to protect our vulnerable populations. OSJ stands ready to provide help to the committee in developing an effective solution.”
Prizio said there’s no “need to create a new bill every time there is an isolated high-profile incident” and that the bill is unfair to a class of people who already have had their rights “sucked dry by the system.”
Wow
Cindy Prizio speaks like a Shakespearean student. Loved her:
“Please don’t allow one sensational crime to turn good intentions into bad policy”
and
“There’s no need to create a new bill every time there is an isolated high-profile incident”
Sending her a virtual hug. Why have I never heard of her?
Agreed Jack. Her words were on point and elegant. Can’t get much better than that in an advocate.
Glad you agree
I specifically agree with what she said here, The CT ‘registry is based on category of offense not risk.’ That is by design. They can keep registered citizens tamped down by the ‘once an offender always an offender’ mantra. That status never changes on the public registry profile. Our people need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Stop the blanket restrictions posed on people for things they weren’t a part of and take the worse case scenario to pass an agenda.
Go Cindy and tell Anwar to go kick a curb
These types of bills/laws are the slippery slope. At what point does it stop. A nurse can be harmed in a hospital. Does that mean we add special conditions to hospital treatment and inpatient stays or maybe surgical centers because of the sedation used there. Does every treatment provider need a background check on patients they come in contact with? Only patients who “look like criminals” should be checked out? When and where does the line get drawn? These ideas need to stop. All they do is seek to hinder personal and constitutional freedoms leaving a a mess in the wake. Individual, case by case, care is what everyone needs and providers, families and clients should participate in deciding how the needs will be met. CT is trying to infringe on people’s right to individual and appropriate health care nevermind what legal background those people have.
I don’t see a difference in being in a nursing home or a hospital. Both are for medical treatment and its illegal for a hospital to deny a person medical treatment. The same should apply to nursing homes. An armed bank robber could be shot by police and taken to a hospital by police for treatment and no one bats an eye, so why should a criminal past be a reason to deny medical care?
Disgusted
Hospitals get away with a lot of things, it is just not documented and is denied when confronted. Years ago, and yes I was on the registry then, I was admitted to the hospital. One of the nurses came in alone and closed the door, She then proceeded to yank on my catheter and say in ear “I know about You”. I screamed for help and she left. I ended up having to have emergency surgery.
I contacted a lawyer but believe it or not, they said there was nothing they could do since it was her word against mine and I couldn’t prove she did anything wrong? W T H
I reported her and but nothing was done or any apology other than her not being allowed back in my room, per my request. She of course denied the entire incident. After that I request anyone who comes in the room has to have a witness with them.
I did not name the hospital or the nurses names on purpose
So much for the honoring the Hypocratic Oath to do No harm to patients. No harm means yanking on a catheter because the person has a government label. Good thing she didn’t say you groped or raped her. Professionals who engage in this kind of conduct should lose their license for Life. I would of sued the nurse and hospital for unprofessional behavior or allowing it. Totally unbelievable the hospital and administrator should of paid for your stay and emergency surgery.