Raj Rajaratnam Designated to FMC Devens (Mass.)

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Thu Nov 03, 2011 at 09:54:30 PM EST
Tags: Raj Rajaratnam (all tags)

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Raj Rajaratnam has been designated to FMC Devens, in Massachusetts.

Rajaratnam' medical issues were a big focus at sentencing. It's likely he will need a kidney transplant and dialysis during his 11 years in prison. FMC Devens contracts with the University of Massachusetts for kidney transplant services.

Recently, FMC Devens published a contract solicitation for mortuary services for its inmates. It estimates a maximum of 25 inmate deaths per year. Currently, there are 1,096 inmates at FMC Devens. [More...]

According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 345 federal prisoners died of illness (excluding AIDs-related) in 2008 (last year available.) There were 208,000 federal prisoners at the end of 2009. There are currently 117 federal prison facilities.

Rajaratnam is scheduled to report on December 5, 2011. He's already lodged an appeal and is asking the Second Circuit to grant bail pending appeal. Briefs aren't due for a few weeks yet.

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Raj Rajaratnam Designated to FMC Devens (Mass.) | 11 comments (11 topical)

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So, statistically speaking (none / 0) (#1)
by scribe on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 09:42:36 AM EST

it appears he's got about a 50/50 chance of dying while in prison, regardless of how good his medical treatment might be.

He's got (none / 0) (#2)
by jbindc on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 12:51:30 PM EST

a better medical plan than most people.


Actually, since 1972 (none / 0) (#3)
by Zorba on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 01:10:14 PM EST

Medicare covers anyone with end-stage renal disease, even those not of Medicare age. Of course, you may still have a 20% co-pay if you don't have other insurance to cover this, and this can add up to quite a bit, although there are other resources that can be explored to pay this. Not going to be a problem, as you said, for Rajaratnam's coverage in prison.


No way... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 01:15:35 PM EST

he will maybe have more access to healthcare than uninsured Americans...but by no means is prison healthcare "quality" healthcare...bare minimum to avoid a civil rights lawsuit is all a prisoner should expect.


Kdog, it may not (none / 0) (#5)
by Zorba on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 01:43:51 PM EST

be of the best quality, but there are 50.7 million uninsured Americans who don't even get that much, not to mention the millions of under-insured with co-pays and deductibles so high, they can't afford much care, anyway. I'm not saying that prisoners shouldn't get good health care (they should), but I am saying that all Americans should get decent health care.


I gotcha... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 02:18:30 PM EST

our healthcare system is a sin, all I'm saying is let's not believe the hype that prison healthcare is some prize.

Of course prison officials are gonna tell you how wonderful it is...but prisoners die on their cold cell floors over something as simple as a lack of insulin. I'm sure Raj is gonna miss his cadillac healthplan and high-priced specialists.


I don't think so (none / 0) (#8)
by jbindc on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 02:53:40 PM EST

I think he'll be all right. FMC Devens is a federal medical prison.

"I think they made the right call," said Alan Ellis, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer who specializes in federal prison assignments. "Devens specializes in nephrology" -- or kidney-related medicine -- "and is affiliated with the UMass medical facility and also is conveniently located not too far from New York. He hit the inmate lottery."
The Federal Medical Center Devens is about 40 miles west of Boston on the now-defunct Fort Devens military base. It has a state-of-the-art dialysis unit and has a focused program to address kindy-transplant needs, according to an affidavit filed with the court by Sandra L. Howard, the clinical director of the center. The Devens facility also has a satellite camp housing minimum security male inmates, according to the Bureau of Prisons website.

The inmate lottery... (none / 0) (#9)
by kdog on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 03:10:27 PM EST

is a far cry from the grifter lottery.


: Raj IS a grifter (none / 0) (#10)
by jbindc on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 04:17:52 PM EST

among other things.

From the link (none / 0) (#6)
by jbindc on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 01:53:54 PM EST

Devens inmates often leave the facility to see outside specialists and for tests and medical procedures not available in the medical center, Sandra Howard, the clinical director at Devens, said in an affidavit submitted in Rajaratnam's case in September at the request of the government. The prison has regular onsite specialists in cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, surgery, neurology and pulmonology.

: And we're paying for it. (none / 0) (#11)
by Mr Natural on Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 08:11:03 PM EST