Hudson Valley News

NY inmates sue for dental floss and $500 million

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas
Published September 23, 2012 at 1:00 AM EDT
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Several inmates in a New York jail have filed a $500 million lawsuit because they're not allowed to use dental floss. More from WAMC's Dave Lucas

In a federal lawsuit first reported by The Journal News, the Westchester County inmates claim they're losing teeth and suffering pain.

They claim that the jail acknowledges the need for floss and that other jails permit flossing.

The lawsuit names the county and its corrections commissioner, among others.

A call to the commissioner was not immediately returned. A corrections spokesman told The Journal News that the jail is not required to offer floss but is looking into it.

The lawsuit claims inmates need floss because when cavities develop they are given only temporary fillings, which eventually fall out and lead to tooth loss or chronic pain.

(c) 2012 Associated Press

Hudson Valley News
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Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
See stories by Dave Lucas