Re “Imprisoned DiMasi weak with cancer, wife says” (Page A1, March 7): Congress has left federal judges without the statutory power on their own to remedy post-sentence medical problems such as those that occurred to former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi; instead, Congress has placed responsibility for responding to unforeseen but catastrophic medical events, such as DiMasi’s throat cancer, in the hands of the Bureau of Prisons.
The bureau has proved to be unwilling or unable to exercise its authority to care for or seek the release of nonviolent inmates whose medical circumstances require relief that is unavailable within the prison system. The bureau has used its power to seek “compassionate release” in only the rarest of cases despite the reality that there are untold numbers of federal prisoners suffering from devastating medical conditions in prisons far from their families.
Comments
If he hadn't committed a felony and stolen from the people of MA he would be able to go and do whatever he pleased. I don't wish cancer on him but unfortunately he made choices that risked his freedom. Nobody forced him to take that money.