Breaking Down the Walls: A Candid Conversation About the Prison System and Medical Negligence

Being incarcerated does not make a person's pain disappear. It can make that pain much easier for the outside world to ignore.

Civil rights attorney Parrish Collins joins Jay to discuss the prison and jail medical-neglect cases that changed the direction of his work. He describes what clients and families have brought to him, the barriers to obtaining care, and the strain of receiving more requests for help than his office can take on.

Parrish also examines the role of healthcare contractors, oversight, and institutional incentives through his experience in New Mexico. He and Jay consider the conditions facing correctional staff, the assumptions people make about incarcerated people, and what accountability could look like when human dignity remains part of the conversation.

What We Explore

• Parrish's path into prison and jail medical-negligence cases
• The experiences he describes from clients and families
• Barriers to care and accountability
• Healthcare contractors and institutional oversight
• Working conditions and support for correctional staff
• Bias, dignity, and how people think about incarceration
• The limits and emotional cost of legal advocacy

About Parrish Collins

Parrish Collins is a civil rights attorney based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This interview focuses on his experiences advocating for people alleging medical negligence in prisons and jails.

Content note: Discussion of medical neglect, serious injury, death, and suicide in custody.

The Tragedy Academy

Candid conversations exploring the human experience through tragedy and triumph.

Hosted by Jay Hicks.

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The Tragedy Academy is a show created to bridge societal divides in a judgment-free zone using candor and humor. 

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