Nashville- The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed a federal judge’s decision against a group of inmates with chronic Hepatitis C (“HCV”) who sought to challenge Tennessee Department of Correction (“TDOC”) policies and procedures.

In the decision, the Court rejected plaintiffs’ claims that TDOC’s medical director, Dr. Kenneth Williams, acted with “deliberate indifference to their serious medical needs.”

“What the record does show, rather,” stated the Court, “is that Williams repeatedly sought budget increases for hepatitis C treatment, indeed with considerable success; and that he spent ‘every penny’ of those funds on treating sick inmates. In the real world of limited resources, Dr. Williams’s actions pursuant to the 2019 guidance reflected anything but indifference.”

“The Sixth Circuit recognized and upheld what the District Court had determined: that the Department has a compassionate, well-thought out plan for treating the patients, using resources that had been significantly increased over the years by the Governor and the General Assembly,” said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III.

To read the decision, click here: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/attorneygeneral/documents/pr/2020/pr20-33-opinion.pdf

###

Press Release #20-33:  Ruling Against Plaintiffs in Hep C Inmate Case Upheld