The Virginia Department of Corrections says allowing a radio reporter to record in a prison would pose a threat to security, so we reached out to Amber Lucas by phone. She’s serving a five-year sentence and is suing the Goochland Prison, because using the bathroom requires permission from guards.
“One officer actually ordered me back into my cell at 5:47 a.m. and would not let me use the bathroom. Count is at 6 o’clock.”
Sometimes inmates are locked in their cells for extended periods of time, and women who take certain medications are unable to wait. Lucas recalls one such occasion.
“People were banging on the doors. This one officer came to the door and laughed and watched me pee in my trash can and would not even let me out, and I begged them to use the bathroom. If an officer does not like you, they can flat out just not let you out.”
She says this policy has caused her to develop urinary tract infections and other medical problems, so she’s spent nearly $500 of her own money to sue the state.
“I’ve gotten UTIs. I’ve had to go out to a urologist. I have 42 pages of grievance materials begging for help. I’ve tried. I did not want to do this.”.
The Department of Corrections says it can’t comment because the policy is being challenged in court.
