Philadelphia, PA: (Mar-31-08) A class action lawsuit was brought against Bucks County's jail, over an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Experts stated that MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection that manifests as pimples, boils and other skin irritations. Jail records show that initial cases of MRSA among inmates in the jail came to light in 2001. The lawsuit stated that apart from the money factor, the class sought to bring about sanitary changes needed at the Doylestown Township facility. The suit named the county and the jail as defendants, claiming poor sanitary conditions including a leaky roof and improper medical care were compounding the problem. It alleged that although the jail has a dispensary, there is no area where ill inmates can be isolated from the general population and treated for a length of time. Anyone infected with MRSA, for example, is placed into solitary confinement, dissuading some prisoners from reporting their condition.
Sources stated that the class action lawsuit reached settlement when a federal judge ordered a list of measures that will have to be carried out at the Bucks County Correctional Facility. The checks aim to ensure that the MRSA infection is stemmed. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Bucks County will pay $60,000 to cover legal fees and costs. It also calls for infectious disease and forensic sanitation experts to monitor the jail and the health care that inmates receive. Sources stated that the settlement resolves the allegations in the five-year-old suit. [
