communication with my Sen.

From: James Fetzer [mailto:jfetzer@d.umn.edu]
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 10:17 AM
To: Mikulski, Scheduler (Mikulski); jessica_jelgerhuis@paul.senate.gov
Cc: ngsaleri
Subject: EVEN MORE DATA about BUTNER MEDICAL CENTER from DR. SALERIAN

8/6/2014 8:23:31 PM

Upcoming Visit 

Dear Jim:

           It seems that its just a matter of time before a Senator and a Congressman would visit Butner FMC. Strategically and psychologically I feel better if Senator Mikulski is included or takes the lead. I spare the details. Below is a list of questions I want any visitor to raise with FMC leadership and staff.

1. Is it true that psychiatric patietns (innocent citizens - pre-trial) are paid 75 cents an hour to work at Butner?

2. Is it true that all psychiatric patients are deprived of toilet paper and soap in public bathrooms?

3. Is it true that psychiatric patients are deprived of easy access to fire extinguishers or easy exit in case of fire because they are locked up long hours?

4. Is it true that psychiatric patients are exposed to long fire alarms without knowing the nature of the alarm (whether they are drills or a real danger)?

5. Is it true that the majority of patients feel disrespected at Butner?

6. Is it true that the offical handbook for psychiatric patients uses offensive language for psychiatric patients - for instance patients are referred to as "flesh", a word in Webster's Dictionary that is used to describe animal body parts?

7. Is it true that some psychiatric patients see their M.D. doctor once a month or less often? Is it true that recently a patient was discovered who had not been seen by a doctor for a full year?

8. Is it true thazt in a one week period in July 2014 one patient died and four had grand mal seizures on the psych wards of Butner FMC?

9. Is it true that a physician, a life member of APA, and currently a resident at Butner FMC, for evaluation, was verbally abused by staff who threatened him with vulgar acts and placed him in a cell where he had to urinate, defecate, and sleep after refusing a strip search following a visit with his daughter?

10. Is it true that that same doctor was also reprimanded for embracing his daughter and subsequently lost his visitation rights for the next 6 weeks because of his protest?

11. Is it true that taunting, teasing, and name calling are common abuses against psychiatric patients by staff at FMC Butner?

Thank you.

-Alen

8/6/2014 12:50:50 PM

Open Letter to Senator Mikulski (revised)

Dear Senator Mikulski:

           Throughout my 40 year long psychiatric career in Washington D.C. I evolved by the magical lessons of humans in pain. I also became painfully aware of the manmade punishments most of my patients with imperfect brains endured. Atrocities from their misfortunes compounded by prejudice.

            My later years in psychiatry especially the period I practiced combined psychopharmacology and pain medicine let me witness even greater pain and prejudice endured by my patients until the sudden death of my career on March 3, 2011 when the DEA invaded my office.

            But nothing had prepared me for what I encountered when I arrived at Butner FMC on May 28, 2014.

            Sadism is the only appropriate word I can find to describe the behavior of some staff members in dealing with people with mental illness. What is so grotesque is to observe staff members empowered by the badges to pray on victims of people with damaged brains.

            I don't wish to mislead you about Butner FMC. Most staff are competent and kind. The physical appearance is good. The ignorant rules and mentality reign forced by irrational and inhumane guidelines.

            There is dangerously low-JCAHO unacceptable ratio of staff-patient which leads to patients not being seen by a doctor for weeks, maybe months. I had met one person who was here a year and had not seen a doctor. All of us are here locked up in cages, some 15 hours daily. Fire alarms are laughed at by staff.

            There is no reason for any patient to be caged and remain at the mercy of a cellmate who may be dangerous. Because many people are mentally ill, when they report murderous fantasies or wishes to torture others, its impossible to know whether this is bullying or sickness. There is officially accepted slave labor, where mentally ill work for 75 cents an hour.

            I am blessed with a great family and a good education. I have survived so far. I protest what I see and therefore I get punished. But this is not about me. This is about my fellow patients. Please help.

Respectfully,

Alen J Salerian M.D.          Prisoner #: 17297-084

President Doctors For Equal Rights 

For People With Mental and Physical Pain

On Sun, Aug 3, 2014 at 2:42 PM, James Fetzer <jfetzer@d.umn.edu> wrote:

Scheduler and Staffer,

Please be sure that Senator Mikulski (and Senator Rand) are informed of Dr. Salerian's messages, where I received these six since I last corresponded with you. I have now written to him the following message:

Alen, I have copied and am sending your six latest messages to two Senators and others. The situation is completely appalling. Sean has experience with prisons and wants you to know that, while writing to me about this may be tolerated by prison authorities, taking action that might involve others can be construed by them as initiating a riot, which is absurd on its face but what he has seen take place before his very eyes. Prisons are under less supervision than virtually any other element of society. He is terribly concerned for your welfare and hopes you can find modes of protest that do not involve any other inmates, because that will provoke great anger and harsh retaliation. 

Has the United States become so lawless that even a distinguished psychiatrist of the caliber of Alen Salerian, M.D., can be improperly incarcerated and then, when he finds that the Federal Medical Center, Butner, NC, is operating a facility with an excess of force in treating inmates and an absence of medical staff for those in need of care. As I have observed, I WOULD BE GLAD TO FLY TO WASHINGTON, DC, TO MEET WITH EITHER SEN. MIKULSKI OR SEN. PAUL ABOUT THIS DISTURBING SITUATION.

Dr. Salerian requests that Sen. Mikulski make a visitation to Butner, where he would be grateful for the chance to convey to her his profound concerns about what's going on.

With appreciation,

Jim

James H. Fetzer, Ph.D.

McKnight Professor Emeritus

University of Minnesota Duluth

http://www.d.umn.edu/~jfetzer/

(h): (608) 835-2707

(c): (608) 354-4280