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Saldivar Complains About Prisoner Health at Kolbe
posted (September 7, 2012)
65 year-old Michael Coye and his daughter, 36 year-old Melonie Coye are currently in prison serving 3 years after they were convicted in Supreme Court of laundering over 1.5 million dollars.

Their lead attorney, Arthur Saldivar, indicated to the media weeks ago that he was in the process of filing an appeal of this judgement.

But Michael Coye is an elderly man, and he is suffering from diabetes, a which his attorney claims has worsened.

Melonie Coye also has diabetes.

According to Saldivar, he recently visited his clients in prison, and says health has been seriously compromised. He wants the Kolbe Foundation to take note that these prisoners need special care, and his opinion is that they are currently not getting it.

Here's how he described it:

Arthur Saldivar
"I had an opportunity to get to the Kolbe Foundation to visit the Coye family; Mike and Melanie Coye - after having heard of a recent episode involving the health of both individuals. Mr. Mike Coye had suffered extensive diarrhea as a result of complication arising from the food that he was eating there and the fact that he wasn't getting the kind of medical attention that he requires. He is a diabetic, but recently we also found out that he was diagnosed with hepatitis C which is a highly communicable disease. Melanie Coye herself had gone into hyperglycemic shock while at the facility as a result of not being able to access proper food and medication."

"I believe again because of the way the system works - she got no real medical attention, she was only basically assisted by a warden and by another prisoner. These are some of the conditions there. I am making a public plea to ont only the persons at Kolbe but for those who have conduct of persons who are held in custody in that regard to give due consideration to the fact that there are people now whose life is in jeopardy and whose condition may actually endangered others."

And while - according to Saldivar - the Coyes are suffering in silence, he also spoke to us today about Calaney Flowers. Viewers will remember that she is the woman who is on remand for allegedly murdering her ex-boyfriend, Lyndon Morrison, by knocking him and his currently girlfriend down.

According to Saldivar, Flowers suffers from Lupus, which is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system of the afflicted person attacks his or her own cells.

Saldivar says that the prison cannot provide for a prisoner suffering from this disease.

Here's what he had to say to us about Flowers' condition while at the prison:

Arthur Saldivar
"We have Ms. Calaney Flowers who is a lupus patient. As you know lupus is one of those diseases that require frequent blood transfusions and she is showing certain signs of that disease affecting her. Again I would want to draw the attention to those responsible for persons in such situations to give due consideration to that."

"We don't want to have a situation where we are compounding a situation involving a person who is only on remand, so that at the end of the day we are not actually causing a person who is still presume innocent to suffer the ultimate penalty before trial. It would be a major travesty of justice if due process is thwarted by a person dying while on remand."

This evening, we contacted Earl Jones, the CEO of the Prison, and he basically told us that Saldivar is - in a few words - exaggerating the situation.

According to Jones, the prison has medically trained professionals who work at the KHMH trauma ward. He said in cases such as all 3 people who Saldivar referred to, if they is a situation that the professionals at the prison can't deal with, they are immediately transferred to the KHMH.

In reference to Michael Coye, Jones said that the prison has taken special steps, and there is an emergency medical technician that is assigned specifically to him, who monitors Coye's health constantly.

In relation to Melonie Coye, Jones said that she seems to be of good health, and he said that she is currently part of a teaching program for the women prisoners right now. She hasn't indicated to anyone that her health is worsening.

Jones ended by saying that Saldivar should have come to him and voiced these concerns first before going public. Jones said that he has always granted Saldivar a meeting whenever he's requested it.

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