How prisoners scam the system to ensure benefits after release

By John Crudele, NY Post - May 14, 2018

Today I’m going to share with you a letter I got from a retired New York state corrections officer. It explains an ingenious way prisoners are gaming the system so they can be eligible for wonderful benefits upon their release from jail.

Taxpayers ought to know.

I don’t want to ruin it for you, so I’ll let him tell the story in his words. I’m keeping the writer anonymous for his own protection, although I have spoken with him and have checked his credentials.

Dear John Crudele: I recently retired from a long career as a New York State Corrections officer. I worked in Sing-Sing, Mid-Orange and did my last 10 years at Fishkill Corrections Facility — a prison with a large regional medical unit.

I’m not exactly a brave whistle-blower as I waited to retire to write this letter. As an officer you’re not allowed to talk to the media without permission. Gov. Cuomo and the [ State Department of Corrections] would not like this scam coming to light.

I estimate this scam has cost the taxpayers of New York millions and millions of dollars and growing every day. It is called by the inmate “building a case” and it works like this.

Inmates go to the medical (unit), complaining of mental issues until they get an appointment with an O.M.H. (Office of Mental Health) doctor. There, they say they can’t sleep, hear voices, are suicidal etc.

The inmates trade stories and know the words that will trigger a script (prescription) for drugs. The problem is that only crazy people take these drugs and these guys are only crazy like a fox. The inmates go to the med-window where the nurse gives them the pills.

They have to open their mouth and show the nurse or an officer that they swallowed it. (But) they don’t swallow. They “cheek the meds,” hiding the pill or pills under gums or the side of mouth.

They leave the medical building to return to their housing unit and spit the meds out the first chance they get. Millions of dollars worth of drugs (are) littering lawns outside every medical building in every prison in the state.

They do this for years. This is a long con and very expensive for taxpayers. Why do this for years?

The inmates know their conditional release or parole dates years in advance. The object is to leave prison with a medical file the size of the novel “War and Peace.”

This information follows the inmate to the parole office. Now arrangements have to be made to continue the drugs and, of course, the nature of the mental illness and drug treatment makes it hard to work and function as a normal person.

You know where this is going: work waivers, disability payments, various forms of government benefits and all the goodies an enlightened society bestows on our unfortunate citizens. (That’s the) end game for the con.

I know you can’t do anything about this story. I just thought you would appreciate a story of fraud and waste against the taxpayers of New York. Don’t let up on exposing fraud and waste at all levels of government.

Signed, Anonymous

Who says I can’t do anything about this! I can put it in my column, and, I’m sure, prison officials will rush to end this scam. Not likely.

I could also have gotten myself arrested and seen this for myself while undercover. But summer is coming, and I’d prefer being near the Jersey Shore rather than in lockup.

FOLLOW UP May 17, 2018

In my last column, I let a retired New York state corrections officer tell you about a scam that has apparently been going on for a long time inside prisons.

It goes like this: Convicts fake illnesses, get medication they don’t need and spit the pills out on the lawn outside the medical facilities, all so they can build a case for a disability that will pay off nicely once they get released.

Well, several others who have worked in prisons want in on the action and now they are willing to tell their stories. I’m keeping everyone’s identity anonymous because of the delicate subject matter. Here are two comments:

• John: Kudos on your article about Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) inmates scamming the mental system. As a former DOCCS and Office of Mental Health (OMH) nurse, I witnessed the ease with which inmates manipulated OMH and DOCCS staff to receive a Level 1 designation to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits upon release. This designation also protects them from most disciplinary actions while incarcerated. Anonymous
• John: Ever since the mental health unit came into corrections, it has created tons of overtime for the guards. Every inmate is now crazy. And I’ve had inmates tell me that the reason they are cutting up their wrist is because they want more money for Social Security when they get released from prison. It’s all a scam. And taxpayers have zero idea of the cost. Anonymous

Now you know. Will Gov. Cuomo do anything about this? Probably not. But at least now you know he won’t do anything about it.