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DAUGHTER GREW ILL AND DIED WHILE
IN PRISON.
ALREADY MADE
ITS WAY INTO THE COURTROOM ...
FOUND OUT ... IT'S
A STORY THAT RUNS THROUGH THE
WABASH VALLEY.
" LIKE MOST FATHERS, CLAUDE WOOD
OF CARMEL, INDIANA IS
FIERCELY PROUD OF HIS DAUGHTER
RACHEL, AND HER PHOTOS ARE
ALMOST ALWAYS ON HAND. LIKE SOME
YOUNG PEOPLE, THOUGH,
RACHEL FOUND HERSELF IN TROUBLE
WITH THE LAW. WHEN
SHE WAS 24, RACHEL WAS SENTENCED
TO SIX YEARS IN
PRISON ON DRUG CHARGES. WOOD
SAYS HIS DAUGHTER WAS
SOON TRANSFERRED TO A PRISON IN
SOUTHERN
INDIANA FOR AN EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM. "THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS SHE WANTED TO LEARN AND
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
WHILE SHE WAS THERE COMPUTER
CLASSES, HER G.E.D., THINGS
SHE WANTED TO DO." MONTHS PASSED
AND RACHEL SEEMED
TO FLOURISH. BUT THERE WAS A
PROBLEM. YEARS BEFORE, RACHEL
HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A
AND IN MARCH, MR. WOOD SAYS HE
RECEIVED A CALL FROM
ANOTHER INMATE TELLING HIM THAT
HIS DAUGHTER WAS ILL. BUT HE
SAYS WHEN HE TRIED TO GET
INFORMATION FROM PRISON
OFFICIALS HE HIT A DEAD END
WHERE
SHE WAS. "WE HAVE MADE HUNDREDS
OF CALLS TRYING TO
LOCATE HER A FEW DAYS WENT BY
AND WE STILL HADN'T GOTTEN A
DEFINITE ANSWER OF WHERE SHE
WAS." IN THE WEEKS, THAT
FOLLOWED, RACHEL WAS MOVED,
FIRST TO INDIANAPOLIS
HAUTE AND HER
RECORDS SENT BACK TO ROCKVILLE.
ALONG THE WAY,
WOOD SAYS HE HAD LITTLE LUCK
FINDING HIS DAUGHTER.
EVENTUALLY, HE SET UP AN
APPOINTMENT TO MEET HIS
DAUGHTER IN THE HOSPITAL. HE PUT
OFF THE MEETING BY A DAY IN
HOPES OF HAVING "MORE" TIME TO
SPEND WITH RACHEL. "WE
THOUGHT THAT WAS A BETTER
JUDGMENT BECAUSE WE
HER ONCE.
IT WASN'T THE BETTER JUDGMENT.
THE NEXT CALL WE
GOT, SHE WAS GONE." ACCORDING TO
DOCUMENTS,
RACHEL HAD BEEN IN AN AMBULANCE
BACK TO INDIANAPOLIS,
BUT GREW SICKER ON THE WAY. AN
AUTOPSY FOUND HIGH LEVELS OF A
DEPRESSION DRUG CALLED
CITALOPRAM IN HER SYSTEM, AND
LISTED THE CAUSE OF DEATH AS
"THERAPEUTIC MISADVENTURE."
STATE POLICE INVESTIGATED AND
FOUND NO CRIMINAL
WRONGDOING IN THE CASE. MR. WOOD
HAS FILED SUIT IN THE CASE
AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS, THE COMPANY
THAT HANDLES HEALTHCARE FOR
INMATES, THE HOSPITAL AND
CONTACTED THE DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS, BUT A
SPOKESPERSON TOLD US THEY
"COULD NOT" COMMENT ON THE CASE
BECAUSE OF THE LAWSUIT.
THEY DIRECTED US TO CORIZON, THE
COMPANY THAT HANDLES
INMATE MEDICAL CARE. IN A
WRITTEN STATEMENT,
PRIORITY IS
ALWAYS TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE
TO OUR PATIENTS.
HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, AS IN ANY
SPECIFIC PATIENT SITUATION, WE
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROVIDE
DETAILS DUE TO THE
PATIENT RECORDS."
MEANWHILE, WOOD SAYS HE HOPES
HIS STORY WILL LEAD TO
CHANGE IN POLICY AND PRACTICE.
"NO FAMILY SHOULD
THROUGH." A
FATHER'S HOPE AFTER A
DAUGHTER'S LOSS. IN TERRE
HAUTE, JOE ASTROUSKI, NEWS 10. "
A VIGO COUNTY TEACHER IS HELPING
KIDS GIVE BACK TO